The Fable of the Seven
by CelestialLight1117
Summary: It had been centuries since the fall of the Guild and with the invention of firearms, the common people of Albion thought the need for heroes died along with it. However, when a maniac threatens the life of every being in the country, they find themselves crying out for a hero. Legend says that seven heroes will rise and bring peace back to Albion. A novelization. Original content.
1. Winter has come

**Pre-notes: Hey. I've been writing this for a while now. For those of you who don't know me, I am CelestialLight. I've written one other fanfiction for Mass Effect that has been pretty successful. I started writing for Fable back in October. The Fable series has always been one of my favorites. I've been wanting to write it for a while now. I have a Facebook page I use to upload concept art, updates on my stories and ideas that inspired me. It's called "Stories by CelestialLight" ****This should be a pretty fun run. I hope you enjoy it! Read, Review, Follow. Thanks.**

**Act 1/7  
The Beginning**

* * *

Winter had spread across Albion, covering the lush green of their serene forests with a cold and blank white. It was colder than previous winters. That in itself was an omen to many of the country's more superstitious folk. Whether it was caused by an ice demon, as a drunkard had once suggested, or merely by natural means was trivial. The only thing that mattered was survival. Within the last five hundred years, Bowerstone had grown from an unremarkable hamlet into a city. So many houses had stood surrounding the castle; a flying sparrow might have forgotten what the ground looked like, especially now that every inch of the city was covered in ghostly white snow.

Even with the bone-throbbing freeze, Bowerstone still thrived with life. There were sounds of laughing, wordless chatter, lutes, drunken singing and even the sounds of a whore selling her 'wares' in the back streets. The sounds of their faux passionate love-making added into chorus of noises in the city.

It was approaching late afternoon and soon the sun would set. Families enjoying their day in the marketplace would finish up errands and scurry home to avoid the night's chill. Inside, the families go about their regular routine; the fathers would gather the children around the fire and tell them fables of old heroes while the mothers made supper in their kitchens. That was the quirk of people living in Bowerstone, everyday they'd do the same thing, shop at the same places, talk to the same people and start all over again the next morning. No one ever grew tired of it; in fact, they were more likely to be fearful of new events or ideas. They just enjoyed their lives, living in their warm houses just like all the other Bowerstone residents.

Well, almost all.

In the back alley of the old quarter stood a rickety old shanty built from the remains of molded wood by a cheery young girl no older than fourteen. Rose and her sister, Sparrow, would huddle up close to one another during the frigid nights and in the morning they would scrounge up any pieces of gold that might've fallen out of someone's purse. It was either mousing around for gold or doing chores for someone that would give them enough money to eat. Once in a while, a short dirty man by the name of Arfur would approach the older sister and offer her gold in return for something. She never said what it was he was asking for, but she said she always told him 'no'.

The two sisters stood together by their fire overlooking the vista of central Bowerstone and its castle. They had taken a brazier from Fairfax gardens. "They're rich," the older sister used to say, "They don't need it." It was true, there was another replacing it within the hour. Lighting it, however, proved to be a more difficult task as they lacked material to set on fire. On a cold night in the early fall, Rose gathered wood from broken barrels and piled it into the brazier before she cut her own hair, lit it on a street lamp and tossed it into the pit. The girl shivered from her lack of hair for the many weeks, losing more each night. Eventually they befriended a guardsman named Derek. He would fire his pistol into the ground and use the gun barrel's heat to light the fire. That cold wintery night was no different.

"'Mother,' came the frail cry of the princess, 'please don't do this.'

'I love you dear,' the queen said, holding the dark sword's tip to her own stomach. The Queen then tightened her hand around the hilt and pulled the sword into herself. Horrified and in agony, her daughter screamed and threw herself to the ground by her mother.'"

The air grew silent and with a satisfied smile, Rose closed the book. She turned to her sister who had been listening to her writings. "What do you think?" she asked. Her sister lazily smiled in response. "You falling asleep over there, little Sparrow?"

"I'm tired," she peeped, shivering and scooting closer to the fire. Rose couldn't blame her; Bowerstone's frost became more frigid and unbearable each day and hell if she didn't feel herself growing more and more fatigued. Rose stepped beside Sparrow and wrapped her arm around her sister. What would she do? Winter had just begun and the shelter she spent all of the summer working on was already beginning to desiccate. No family wanted to take them in, no salesman wanted give them free food or clothes. The cold, hard truth was that no one would mourn the death of two beggar children. The thought was painful and nauseating to young Rose and it made her heart beat angrily to see the apathy of the common folk who could have easily been in there position. No matter how frustrating it became for her, she would never let Sparrow see it. Even then, in the beginning of winter with little less than scraps of food to live off of, Rose still kept her composure and in doing such, she hoped her little sister would never learn how dangerously close to death they were getting.

"Look, little Sparrow!" Rose said. She pointed to the monumental castle that stood high above the mountains of houses and streets. The castle was wide, taking up most of Bowerstone central and leaving each side of the city wondering what the other looked like. On the western side stood a lone tower that overlooked the ocean and stretched into the cloudy heavens- far higher than its pointed siblings that stood above the castle's stone walls in the center. A stone archway connected the observatory tower to the keep; the castle's regality, marvelous stone structure masked by falling snow made a fantastic view from where Sparrow and Rose were standing. "Castle Fairfax looks so nice in the snow," she said with a smile, her hand unconsciously tightening its grip on her sister's arm. "Imagine the grand dining hall. I bet Lord Lucien's having roast duck this time of year. But he must be really lonely since his wife and his little girl died. In that big castle, all by himself..." she trailed off, "If only we could live there." Rose's hand dropped from her sister's arm. Sparrow looked up at her and grabbed hold of her hand. When Rose returned her gaze she smiled, rocking their arms back and forth.

They both jumped as the sound of yelling and cheering broke through the cold winter's silence. Rose turned, the light in her eyes rekindled with curiosity, "What is going on over there?" she asked, not expecting a reply from whatever produced that noise or her near-silent sister. She gently pulled on Sparrow's hand, "Come with me, sis." She led them away from their shanty, past the barren and frozen willow tree and through an alleyway. They were almost past the Felling Residence when a familiar man approached the girls with a smile of rotted and missing teeth. The man stood a head lower than Rose though it may have been because of his hunched neck. He was dressed in a torn-and-sewn bloodstained vest with an equally decimated pair of trousers decorating his lower half. His eyes were sunken in with dark blotches surrounding them. His skin was dirtied and stained from weeks without bathing and the smell of piss clung to him just as stubbornly as the snow stuck to the ground. "Hello there, young Rose. You look hungry. 'ave you reconsidered my offer?" he asked with a wink.

Rose's face twisted in disgust, "We'll never be that hungry. The answer is 'no'!" she said, tightening her grip on Sparrow's hand and pulling her away down the alley.

"You'll be back," Sparrow heard Arfur call, "and I'll be waiting for ya."

"That filthy creep... I hate him."

At the end of the alley was a horde of adults all standing around an open caravan with multi-coloured smoke flowing out the top of the many queerly shaped funnels protruding from the roof; 'Mystical Murgo', the sign read at the entrance. Inside stood an assortment of normal and unique goods ranging from what seemed to be a regular mirror to more abnormal curiosities like a stone statue of a queen of sorts, clad in pointed armor. Her crown was thorn-like and her face was featureless- just smooth stone. Aged wines to perfume and to books apparently written by the Archons of old to male enhancement potions were all stacked tightly onto the shelves in the back.

"Oh," Rose hummed, noticeably disappointed, "It's just a trader." Despite the nonevent and the inability to buy anything, she pushed forward into the crowd. Rose stopped when she was able to see the merchandise. Beside them stood a woman clad in a red and white cloak that reached down to her feet. She wore a hood over her head. Rose didn't seem to notice the strange lady like Sparrow had, but instead found herself staring wishfully at the collection. The younger sister couldn't help but to stare up at the woman, she was so different from the rest of the crowd but not a person noticed. The woman looked down at the girl. The first thing Sparrow noticed was her eyes; they glowed a blank white. She seemed to be blind but there was no mistaking that the woman was staring into Sparrow's eyes. The next thing she noticed was a collection of runes formed into a necklace on her breasts. Each stone had a strange, archaic symbol on it. The woman's lips were pulled tightly into a mischievous grin. Sparrow shivered and shrunk back toward the comfort of her sister.

The seller stepped forward from the corner of his caravan. "A-ladies and a-gentlemen!" he cried, "I have traveled the land, accumulating wonderful and mysterious objects- which I now offer you for the modest price of five gold." As the trader spoke, Sparrow watched from the corner of her eye as the cloaked woman slowly turned back to the caravan. "Consider this," he said motioning a little bit too dramatically at the mirror beside him. "This is truly a magical mirror. For as long as you look into it, it will make you beautiful!"

A bald, slender man in the crowd raised his hand. "I'll take it!"

"Very wise!" he purred, "Now just remember: the magic only works if you look at it in complete darkness." The trader collected the five gold pieces from the man and helped him lift the long slab of glass before returning to his crowd. "Ah," he said, once again motioning dramatically towards the object of interest, "now this is truly a marvel." He lifted up an octangular box made from old, cracking stone. The seller ran his fingers over the intricate patterns carved into its sides. "This small, unassuming music box is actually a device created by the ancients. As used by the Old Kingdom rulers themselves. Turn the handle three times and you shall be granted a single wish!"

"There's no such thing as magic!" said Rose with a scoff.

A voice, calm and collected, came from beside them, "We live in grim times indeed, if the young are too world-weary to believe in magic," said the cloaked woman, grin still present on her face, "Most children your age believe eagerly."

Rose turned to the woman, eyes widening when they caught a glimpse of the gypsy's. "Look, I can see your eyes are bad," she said, hoping to not sound too insolent, "but I'm telling you, that music box is rubbish."

"That's what the seller thinks. He has no idea what he's stumbled upon. But you have an inkling, don't you?" she asked with a cock of the head. "Some part of you wants to believe it's magic." The woman then, with a nod, turned and walked past the sisters, heading down the alley they had come from.

"What? You... You really think it could be?"

The woman stopped and turned her head toward them. The two girls could see just her pointed nose from behind the woman's hood. "For five gold coins, you could have your answer," she whispered.

"For five gold coins," Rose said, "we could eat for a week."

"Listen to me, Rose: at the end of that week, you and your little Sparrow would be no closer to your dream- no closer to living inside that beautiful castle." And with that, the woman left.

They watched as she left. Rose shivered, holding tightly to her sister, "How'd she know my name?" she questioned. She turned to Sparrow and knelt down so their eyes were on the same level. "What if it is real?" she asked, "I bet we could get five gold pieces... and maybe this could be a way out of here, after all. What is there to lose, little Sparrow?"

Her sister shrugged.

"Come on, there must be someone around here who'll pay us gold to... Do something."

The crowd had dispersed, the men and women all hurried back into their warm houses; leaving the frozen streets barren for two girls to walk alone. Rose, with Sparrow in tow, walked across the almost empty thoroughfare. A tall, muscular man walked towards them from a small outpost hut in the corner of the street. "Oi, kids!" he called, "C'm'ere a minute!"

"Hello Derek," Rose waved with a smile, "Lose something?"

"My arrest warrants. Blew right out of my hands," he said, "They could be in all corners of Bowerstone by now- and I can't leave my post."

"That sucks!" Sparrow giggled. Rose smacked her sister's hand but giggled too; Derek, however, was not so pleased.

He crossed his wide, muscular arms and shook his head. "Would you be willing to get them back for me?" he asked, "You could be like... little constables! Sounds fun, right?"

"Oh definitely!" Rose said with a troublesome look on her face. "But how much do 'little constables' get paid?"

* * *

"So now we're conta-constipated?" Sparrow asked.

"_Constables_, little Sparrow."

Derek had bitterly agreed to give the girls one gold piece for finding his warrants. When they asked for more than one, he stubbornly told them that justice was its own reward and that he didn't have more pieces on hand. The two girls passed by Murgo's Caravan, farther down the Market walk. At the end where the path broke off into Sandgoose road, a group of people stood around a wooden stage. Most of them were laughing. Rose and Sparrow pushed through the crowd to see a nervous and twitchy little man eyeing his audience behind tinted goggles. The man wore bizarre, baggy clothing that hung loosely around his skinny body. He looked to be in his fifties but it was hard to tell. His face portrayed a look of embarrassment and frustration. "I tell you; this is the most amazing device ever conceived!" he cried over the jeer of the audience. Beside him was what seemed to be a long wooden box with a small hole in the front standing atop a tripod.

"What is it?" Rose asked. The crowd grew silent and all the people looked at her. The man in front gave her an especially queer look.

"Well!" the man said, tapping the box, "This is what I call a picture box! It grabs your very likeness and transfiddles it onto a magic piece of paper. It's going to make me very rich!"

"You're a nutter, Barnum!" A man from the crowd said. Sparrow recognized him as the man who bought the mirror from Murgo.

"Oh! I'd prove it to you, sir! I'd prove it to you all!" He said angrily. Most of the crowd began to leave; their object of fun was starting to become  
nothing more than a nuisance.

"What's keeping you?" Sparrow asked from behind Rose.

The man cocked his head at the young girl. He seemed to think about the question before shrugging his shoulders. "I just need someone to modelify for it, but no one here wants help me. They think I'm a loon."

"I don't think you're a loon, sir," young Rose said, "We'll do it... for a gold piece."

"Hmmm... I only have one gold left. But you're right: I should investalise in my new venture. Deal."

Rose smiled and led Sparrow up onto the stage as the man brought his box down and pointed it towards them. There was a warm painting of old Bowerstone complete with hay roofs and twisty, uneven buildings behind them. "Now all you have to do is strike a pose for my little device. You'll be positively betwazzled by the results!" the man giggled.

"Be-what?"

"Ah yes. I've been improving my vocabularium with a wonderful book, bought from Murgo the trader: a thesaurus."

Rose leaned down to Sparrow's ear and whispered: "He's a bit silly, isn't he? But this could be fun."

"Strike a pose!" He said with excitement.

The two girls looked at each other and briefly debated what to do. Eventually a small smile grew across Rose's face and she knelt down to her sister's level, wrapped her arms around her sister, pressed her cheek into Sparrow's and smiled. Sparrow hugged her back and smiled too. A blinding light enveloped them for a split second. The man stepped back from the picture box."Wondrous!" he cried, "This thing's gonna be more popular than the pox!" He shook the girls' hands eagerly when they stepped down from the stage. "Now I just have to wait three months for the picture to develify and I can start showing it around. Oh, I can almost smell the gold!"

Beside him, the man who bought the mirror laughed. "Three months he says! Told you it was a swindle!"

"Easy money for us. He's a bit scatty- I hope he's all right." Rose tugged on Sparrow's shoulder and led them down the alley towards Sandgoose road. The inventor went back to work on his box, furiously tweaking the gadgets and screws around. He half-consciously said goodbye to the girls to which Rose replied with just as much awareness. The alley was short but there were always boxes and barrels left by some lazy worker they would have to climb over. Just before they reached the end of the alley, a sudden cascade of a putrid-smelling substance landed next to Rose. She screamed in horror as some of the shit sprayed up and onto her clothing. An adenoidal cackle came from above them. They looked up to see a fat woman above them emptying her wooden jerry into the streets. She was hideous; her eyes were unevenly spaced, her straw-like hair stuck to her head in weeks-worth of grease. Her face was covered in enlarged moles and when she smiled, she showed broken and blackened teeth which saliva would slip through without her notice. It was Gertrude La fance, a previous noblewoman who was kicked out of her home by her father when she got caught copulating with the horses. The family left her in Bowerstone where she seduced a blacksmith. They eventually wed and when her husband died, she inherited his store and every weapon he made. She sold it all and kept the money to live what she thought to be a good life: letting her body go to waste while her daughter ran around Old Town bossing other kids around and telling them that her boyfriend, Rex, was going to beat them up. "Sorry, luv," she laughed, shooting spit in between her teeth, "thought you'd appreciate the smell. 's like perfume for you, yeah?"

"Go away Gertrude!" Sparrow yelled.

"Oh! 'ello there li'le Sparrah!" the crone said, wiggling her twisted little fingers in her direction. "'ave you seen my precious Berfa? She's not 'ere right now."

Rose scoffed, scratching her skirt against the house to get the shit off, "Why the hell would we try to find your kid?" She looked up and saw the woman shrug.

"I'll give you a gold piece fer it."

Rose looked at Sparrow and reluctantly nodded. "Fine," she said, "where was the last-"

"Mummy," came a small, annoying voice from the window. "Mummy make me a pie!" the little girl screamed. Gertrude pulled a poorly-acted look of surprise. She turned around and picked up her fidgety daughter and brought her to the window to look at the girls. "Ew."

"I found 'er!" Gertrude said with a laugh, "Yay! But I suppose I should give ya a gold piece anyway. 's not fair-like, yeah?" The old woman set her daughter down and reached into her pocket and pulled from it a chunk of gold. "Right. Make sure ya catch it alright?" The woman bent over the sill and dropped the gold. It landed in the pile of feces she had just poured. "Oh shit." The woman's eyes jammed wide open and she laughed so hard she turned beet red. "Get it?!"

Rose bellowed and stomped out of the alleyway. The two turned the corner but the crone's cackle seemed to follow them. On Sandgoose road was a crowd of children surrounding a taller kid who could have been in his early teens. He was dressed in tight, outgrown clothing and he wore a torn top hat on his bald head. His face was covered in rusty piercings. "Ha! You like that, ya stupid mutt?" Rex stood above the dog, a sword-shaped piece of wood in hand. He brought down the toy sword and clubbed the Mutt in the face. The dog screeched and doubled back to the ground, blood trickling down its jaw.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" Rose yelled, shoving the children out of the way.

The boy turned and smiled. "Just having a bit of fun, what's it to you?" Rex poked the girl hard in the belly. Rose was going to say something but was cut off when the teen crashed his forehead into her, sending her wheeling to the ground with a blackening spot growing above her eyes.

"He hit a girl!" a boy cried.

"Yeah- and now I'm gonna hit another one!" Rex charged through the crowd of small children, arm raised and ready to beat the fleeing Sparrow. "C'mon! I won't hit that hard! You can lose a couple teeth!" Sparrow ran down an alley and found herself cornered at its dead end. Rex stood at the far end of the alley, blocking the little girl from running away. He slowly walked towards with his arm raised. Sparrow looked around and tried to find something to defend herself with. She searched through the barrels and found a toy gun. It must have been Bertha's. She used to shoot marbles at little kids when she was younger. No one was sad when she lost it. Sparrow popped a marble into the tiny gun and shot. Rex yelped and covered his eye. "Stop it!" he cried. "Lemme alone, you nutter!" The boy turned and ran, trying not to see the laughing children. He ran into his house and slammed his door. Sparrow walked back to Rose and the dog.

"Did you see that? That lunatic socked me right in the head!" Behind Rose, the dog whined. The mutt looked at the girls as if they were going to strike him. Instead, they got on their knees and spoke softly to him. "Oh, poor thing. You've had a horrible time. Don't be scared. I won't hurt you." The dog cocked his head and whined, sizing up the two differently-sized humans. It seemed like he understood what Rose was saying. "What you need is someone nice to look after you." The dog barked and wagged his tail excitedly. He jumped and knocked over the smaller girl, licking ruthlessly as the girl laughed. Rose bent down and pried the mutt off of Sparrow. "We can't keep you- we don't have enough food for ourselves." The dog huffed and whined. "Well, I'm sorry, but we can't. Now you just rest."

Rose frowned and grabbed her little sister's hand. "Come on."

Sparrow looked over her shoulder and waved the dog a goodbye.

* * *

The two girls scavenged downtown for the arrest warrants. On the way back with all five in hand and three new pieces of gold from helping an alcoholic find his misplaced beer, killing beetles for a storage owner and delivering a love letter, the girls walked with a bounce in their step. Today was their lucky day. They walked through Gertrude's, small, clustered alleyway and back to Derek.

A familiar man entered the alleyway. "Stop right there, ya little brats!"

They stopped.

"Listen, creep, I told you 'no' earlier."

"Shut it, girl, this isn't about that. Those warrants you're collecting- I want them," Arfur spat.

"So does our friend the guard."

"Yeah, but you're gonna give 'em to me, see? Otherwise there'll be trouble."

The man snatched the papers from Rose's hand. When she tried to resist, Arfur smacked her. Without thinking, Sparrow shot the man with the toy gun. The marble struck the man in the bollocks. Rose grabbed the warrants and her sister and ran past the writhing man.

"You twat! You and your sister are going to pay for that!

The two girls ran past where Barnum was, "I didn't know you were good at shooting. You're good with toy swords and you're good with toy guns. What's next? Toy magic?" Rose laughed as they came to a stop at Derek's outpost. "Really though, how're you so good?" Sparrow gave a non-committal shrug.

Derek came out of the hut and approached the girls. "Have you found them?"

Rose smiled and handed the papers to the man. She giggled and folded her arms. Sparrow looked at her weirdly. She always seemed to act different around the man. Derek smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Now normally, justice is its own reward- but as these aren't normal circumstances, there's your gold piece."

"Thank you, Derek," Rose said happily. She smiled at him for a few more seconds before skipping off to Murgo's with her sister in tow. The caravan was now empty. The crowd was gone and the salesman was packing things up. A lot of items were gone. The mirror, the statue, half of his library, all gone. Rose felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. She tapped the merchant on the back. The man quickly turned around with a bright smile on his face.

"Hello children."

"Hello," she whimpered, "Do you still have the music box?" The man reached into his pocket and pulled out the jet antique. The feeling in her stomach quickly turned into glee. She reached into her pocket and grabbed the gold. "I'd like to buy it please."

"Very wise, little ones." Murgo took the gold and gently set the box into her hand. "Go ahead and turn the handle- but mind you go somewhere quiet, like." He turned away and started packing again.

"Let's go make our wish, little Sparrow!" Rose grabbed her sister and nearly dragged the girl down the alley, towards their shanty. Sparrow remembered that the scary red woman passed this way after she talked to them. She was afraid they'd run into her again. They stopped at the vista overlooking Bowerstone Central and Fairfax castle. There was a crate with a red, silk cloths wrapped over it. It wasn't there before. Rose set the music box onto the crate. She looked at the castle and smiled. She turned the handle once, then twice and on the third time, she let go. Flaps on the top opened and a light shined from it. A melancholic tune started playing. The box began to spin by itself, like it was dancing to the song.

"I wish... I wish... To live in that castle..."

The song became louder and the box spun faster. The light turned blood red and soon it enveloped the entire box. The music stopped, the light disappeared and the box was gone. There was a moment of silence between the girls. "But... where'd it go? Why are we still here?" Rose looked at the spot the box was a second ago and then to the sides of the crate. She hoped it fell off, not just... Disappeared. Eventually her face fell into a frown. "Five gold pieces... Oh, I was so sure this was it. I had a feeling like... like we weren't going to be stuck in Old Town anymore. Why didn't the box take us with it?"

A loud voice boomed behind them. They turned back and saw Arfur with some of his thug friends.

"Oi, you little bitch."

"Go to the shelter, little Sparrow."

Sparrow ran. When she arrived at the shanty, something pounced on her. She opened her eyes and saw the dog above panting happily. He licked her face and got off of her. He must've been waiting for them to get there. How did he find it?

Sparrow sat in her blanket huddled up next to the dog. She was scared. She didn't know when her sister was going to get home. It was night now and she still hadn't shown up. There was a silhouette that entered their house. It was Rose. She was covered in blood and other stains. Her eyes were watering but she looked angry. She walked past Sparrow and the mutt without as much as a sideways glance. She laid down on her bed, facing away from them.

"Go to bed."

* * *

A bark woke Sparrow up from her dream. She opened her eyes but she still felt as if the Red woman was watching like she was in her dreams. She blinked her bleary eyes and saw a man bent over Rose.

"Oi, Rose. Wake up."

The girl sat up tiredly and glared. "What do you want, Derek?"

"I've been sent by Lord Lucien to collect you. He would very much like to see you in his castle."

Rose looked at Sparrow, a disbelieving smile grew on her face. Derek stood up and walked out of the shanty where he waited for them. The mutt was growling but Rose hushed him. "It did work! Our wish came true!" She stood Sparrow up and brushed the dirt and lint off of her. She fixed both of their hairs and marched out of the shanty. The dog barked at her. "I'll come back for you, I promise."

Derek waved at her to follow. Rose turned and held out her hand to Sparrow.

"Come on, little Sparrow, we're going to Lord Lucien's castle!"

* * *

Derek and the girls had passed Central and were now in Fairfax castle. Rose was breathless. It was so beautiful on the inside. It was grand and spacious. It made her head spin. Derek led them up a large spiral staircase. Paintings covered the walls. They reached the top and were met by a scrawny butler who held his head high.

"Evening, Jeeves," Derek said, "Here are the children Lord Lucien asked for."

"Excellent! Hello, young ladies." Jeeves didn't even look at them.

"Hello, sir," Rose said with a sloppy curtsy.

"If you'd follow me please."

Sparrow followed closely to her sister. She gave a look back at Derek who smiled at her. The hallway was long and warm. It must've been the stone archway that led to the tower. She always wondered what it'd be like to walk through here. She always imagined the bridge would break under her, but it gave no sign of doing so. She was so distracted; she couldn't even hear the butler and her sister talking.

"We look up at this castle every day and think about how nice it is; we both do."

"But inside, it's even more beautiful than I imagined."

"It is quite wonderful, isn't it?"

Something caught Sparrow's eye. It was a man with black skin. He was covered head to toe with blue, glowing lines. He was dressed in a weird blue and grey garb with books hanging from his waist. He had a goggle covering right eye. It was completely white.

"Ah, hello, Master Garth."

The man passed by without acknowledging any of them. Sparrow could feel a strange heat from him when he walked by her.

"Huh. Man of few words."

"Where is the grand dining hall?"

"Oh, in the north wing. Lord Lucien hasn't been in there since... Since the tragic deaths of Lady Fairfax and little Amelia."

"Oh, I heard. That was so awful."

"Yes. He misses them terribly."

"So... where does he eat?"

"Actually, he takes most of his meals in his study."

"He's in there working all hours, doing research."

"What does he research?"

"History, mostly. Lord Lucien is quite keen on antiquities of all sorts, but he is chiefly interested in things relating to the Old Kingdom."

"There was a trader in Old Town who said his stuff was from the Old Kingdom."

"Yes... yes, I believe Lord Lucien... heard about that."

"We bought a piece of it and we made a wish and now we're here!"

The group had finally made it to the door. Jeeves turned around and looked at the girls for the first time. "That's wonderful!" he said with feigned interest. "Now, when you meet Lord Lucien, you must show respect at all times."

"Yes."

"Address him as 'my lord.' Speak only when spoken to."

"Yes sir."

"And do not mention Lady Fairfax or Amelia."

The butler opened the doors. "Here we are. Lord Lucien? The children are here."

The study was grand. The walls were covered with bookshelves. At the far end of the room was a colourfully painted, glass window. It overlooked Fairfax Gardens, Bowerstone Central and the ocean. Sparrow could see large snowflakes dancing around outside. There was a man flipping through a large book near the window. He was standing on a strange carving on the floor. He turned around. He looked to be in his late thirties. He was tall and handsome. He wore a noble outfit coloured with golds and blacks. He dismissed Jeeves who shut the doors behind him. He approached the girls with a smile on his face.

"Children. It's come to my attention that you have some sort of magic box. May I see it?"

"It vanished, m'lord. We were winding it up, and we made a wish, and it started to glow and it disappeared."

"After you used it."

The smile was gone.

"Yes, m'lord. The man that sold it to us said it was magic."

"The box is of no concern to me; what's remarkable is that you were able to use it."

Silence.

"What was your wish?"

Rose looked bashfully away.

"Well, speak up- what did you wish for?"

"To live in a castle... like this one"

Lucien's smile returned. "Perhaps that could be arranged," he said with a light laugh. "I'm working to rebuild- well; I'm working on something wonderful, for which I need individuals with particular talents." He set his book down on a desk and turned to them once more. "Let us find out if you possess them. Would you kindly stand in the circle, please?" Rose looked nervously at the carving in front if the window. She could hear a low whine coming from it. "I promise, it won't hurt you."

Rose nodded and walked over to the carving. Sparrow followed her. A light similar to the one in the box glowed around them. Sparrow could feel it vibrate through her. "What's that?" Rose asked.

"Nothing to worry about."

Lucien walked forward and stared curiously at the light. The light was formed in a circle around them. He went and grabbed his book. He shuffled through a few pages. "It's true," he said "Your blood- you are Heroes."

Rose looked at Sparrow and then back at the Lord. "Heroes? You mean like the ones in the old stories?"

Sparrow inched closer to Rose. She felt unsettled by the vibrations. She wanted to get out. Lucien extended a hand out and touched the light. His hand looked like it had been caught between two rocks. The Lord screamed and pulled it back. It was bloody. The light around them turned a deep red. "What are you?" he hissed. Lucien flipped through the book furiously.

"M'lord! What happened? What's that light?"

"Quiet!" Lucien dropped his book and stared at the girls. "You're heroes-but you're none of the five. One of you is the sixth." Lucien's hand drifted to his belt where a black and gold pistol was attached. He grabbed it. "This isn't what I wanted- but nothing must stand in my way."

Lucien aimed the gun at Rose.

"No, wait! Don't!" Rose screamed and cowered.

The gun cocked.

"No!"

The gun fired.

Rose coughed and fell to the ground, blood gushing from her stomach. The light around them disappeared and Lucien dropped the gun. He came directly at the screaming sister. She tried to run but he grabbed her by her collar and shoved her against the window. He bent down to her level, eyes directly across from Sparrow's. "I can't allow you to live either. It will take longer without the Sixth... But I can't risk you becoming a liability." He pressed her harder against the glass. Sparrow could feel it start to crack.

"I'm sorry."

The glass gave way and she felt herself falling. Everything was a blur. She saw the castle growing smaller and Central growing larger. The spinning made her want to vomit. The fall felt like an eternity. For a second, Sparrow wondered if she was going to keep spinning and falling forever. She felt herself hit the ground. She wanted to cry but she had nothing. She couldn't. Her eyes were blurring and darkening. She saw the tower. It looked like it was as far away as the moon. Her sight drifted in and out. She felt a warm tongue lick at her hand.

A familiar and chilling voice spoke above her.

"Heroes can survive falls that would shatter the bones of most people."

She cracked open her eyes and saw a woman dressed in a red and white cloak next to the mutt. The woman knelt down and picked her up.

"Death is not your destiny today, little Sparrow."


	2. The Birth of a Hero

**Pre-notes: Read, review and like my facebook! "Stories by CelestialLight"  
****Welcome, cptmurphy, and thank you so much for your kind words!  
****Welcome, magpie426, jakethecap.**

* * *

_Lucien disappeared from Castle Fairfax that night, certain that those who might stand in his way were dead. But sometimes, grief is so great, even death may keep its distance. And so the girl survived. Days later, far from the dark alleys of Bowerstone, life slowly returned to her small, broken body. The girl awoke to a familiar face watching over a strange bed. She reached out for the comfort of the dog's warm fur, ready to take her first steps in a new life. Ten winters blanketed Albion, ten summers filled the air with the sounds of insects and laughter. With time, the girl's pain turned to strength. Her grief became will. A will to change the world. And to avenge the death that still haunted her every dream._

* * *

Sparrow awoke to a pair of sky blue eyes above her own. "What?" She sighed. "Go away, Elena." Sparrow turned on her mattress, decidedly facing away from her friend.

She felt a sharp poke in the back.

"Get up, Sparrow. Theresa wants to see you." Her tired friend just mumbled and smacked her hand away.

"Alright, more fun for me." Elena raised her fingers to her mouth and blew a loud whistle. Sparrow turned to her.

"You wouldn't dare."

Elena smiled. "I would." She turned and ran outside of Sparrow's caravan. She placed her hands around her mouth and screamed. "Sparrow has treats, Brave Knight!"

A loud, excited bark echoed back through the camp.

Inside the caravan, Sparrow was already getting up. She knew what was about to happen. She quickly put undergarments on. She reached for a shirt when a big mutt plowed through her door and slammed her into the wall. The dog laid on top of her and licked her face.

Sparrow gagged at the smell. "Oh you just ate! Ugh!"

A soft laugh came from her door. Elena was leaning against the entrance with a cocky smile on her face.

"You're a bitch, you know that?"

"Oh stop your complaining." Elena reached down and pried Brave Knight off of her. "Anyway, Theresa said it was important."

"Sounds exciting. Give me a second." Sparrow stood up and pet her dog. She went over to a glass bowl and fished out a couple bone-shaped biscuits. She threw one of the biscuits in to the dog's mouth. "How have you been, Elena? Haven't seen you for a few days."

Elena came closer into the caravan. She sat quietly on the bed. She was a light-skinned, blonde woman with long, healthy hair that was always tied up perfectly with a blue ribbon. She always seemed to smile.

"Good, I guess. Still haven't found a job. I kept searching around Bowerstone to try and get a job as a blacksmith or a woodcutter, but I was always turned away. Waste of time."

Sparrow threw the last bone into the dog's mouth and sat beside Elena. She struggled to get her tight-fitting clothes on.

"At least Theresa lets you leave the camp. I haven't been to Bowerstone in ten years... I haven't left the camp in over a year. Theresa is hounding me with training."

Elena helped Sparrow slip into her scratchy outfit. "She doesn't train me, if that makes you feel better. I had to train myself."

"It doesn't really."

"Yeah, sorry about that. You look pretty silly dancing around a scarecrow field with those rusty meat slicers," the blonde girl laughed.

Sparrow was finished getting dressed. They stood up and walked out the door.

"They're cleavers! And they weren't always rusted." Sparrow retorted.

Elena smiled. "Doesn't matter much. Theresa talk to you about Will training yet?"

"Not at all." A sigh.

Elena and Sparrow walked down the dirt path to the center of the camp. "I wonder why. She said you had the potential." The blonde looked up at the sky. "Huh. Looks like it's going to rain. Great."

"Hobbes love rain."

"So you better pray it floods." Elena laughed. "My favorite saying, though old hymns and folktales are the least of our concern. If it rains, beetles are going to come out of their holes and seek shelters in our caravans."

"So the brave Elena will save the camp from the evil beetles?" Sparrow asked with a laugh. Elena shoved her.

"The alchemist in Bowerstone pays one hundred pieces of gold for a single wing." She paused. "And also if our camp is infested, our livestock will die and our homes will be eaten."

"Well it's good to have you here."

There was a comfortable silence between them as they walked to the gates. It was a feeling only shared with the best of friends. Sparrow and Elena had met when they were both only thirteen. Elena had gotten lost from a group of travelers heading through Bower lake. She had strayed off the path and found herself surrounded by bandits. If one of the camp's hunting party had not gone out that day, Elena would have been killed... Or worse. She returned with the hunters and had made herself at home ever since. She was orphaned, she said. Sparrow and Elena quickly grew a strong friendship together. They talked and ate and trained together. Elena was good with a sword, shield and crossbow while Sparrow preferred cleavers and a rusted flintlock pistol. They would spend nights at each other's caravan talking about the dreams they had or things they thought they had seen on the dark nights. Though no matter where they slept, Theresa was always able to find them. She would tell the girls that she was glad they were able to bond, but that Sparrow's training was more important and would always take priority.

Theresa stood at the gate. When the girls approached, she gave Sparrow her cleavers and her pistol. She grabbed them and winced as the jagged metal cut her fingers. "Another day of training?"

Theresa grinned. "Yes, though not in the way you're expecting. Today you're training in the ways of the Will." Sparrow was stunned, but a smile slowly spread across her face.

"It's about time!" Elena said.

"Both patience and impatience have their uses, Elena, but make sure one does not overshadow the other," Theresa said.

"I understand, but it's a little hard when you have nothing to keep you busy."

"You do have something to keep you busy. You told Sparrow before you got here." Sparrow looked back at Elena and laughed when the girl rolled her eyes. She gave a quick wave and walked back towards camp. She mumbled something about Theresa's foresight being a pain in the arse. "Many years ago I promised I would help you avenge your sister's death. That day has come. Today, you leave the safety of the camp and seek out Lucien. The journey will not be easy."

Sparrow could see that night. The snow that blanketed Bowerstone, Lucien's smile... Rose laying on the ground. She shook her head. "Do you think I'm ready?"

Theresa shook her head. "I know you're not. Not yet. Come with me."

The gate keeper opened the giant wooden doors and the two passed by him without a word. They walked over the bridge and stood at the edge of the cliff. It overlooked Bower lake. It was just as beautiful as Sparrow remembered. The water shined brightly in the morning sun, the mist drifted lazily upon its surface. Hero's hill blocked the sun out on most of the lake. It left a shadow of the mountain and it's three tall, stone spires. The lake was surrounded by trees. A cool, refreshing breeze brushed by Sparrow.

"Take this." Theresa turned to her and handed her a disk-like object.

Sparrow turned it over in her hand. It was about the size of her palm. There was an odd symbol made of a lustrous metal set into a turquoise stone. Theresa grabbed it and attached it to the breast of her shirt. "It is a powerful artifact, the kind of which all Heroes once carried. It will grant you access to places others cannot go. It will also allow me to talk to you, when necessary." She straightened the seal and then laid her hand on the younger's shoulder. She turned her towards the waterfront. "Now, look down toward the lake." She pointed at the lone island in middle of the lake. There was a crypt on it. "The seal will allow you to enter that tomb. You will have to trek the tunnel. It will lead you right under Hero hill. That is where the Chamber of Fate lies. Inside, you will learn a powerful spell. Now go. I will keep your furry friend here for now."

* * *

The tomb door closed behind Sparrow. She walked back to it and fondled for a handle or... Anything that could help her open it. There was nothing.

_The door will not open. You must press on._

Sparrow shrieked and turned around. Her gun was pointed at... Nothing... No one was there. "Hello?" she called, not letting her pistol down.

_Do not be alarmed. I am speaking to you through the Guild seal._

Sparrow let out the breath she was holding and let her arm drop back to her side. "It's going to take me time to get used to you whispering in my ear."

_You will have a lot of time._

Sparrow began walking down the stony hall. "Not too long. I'm going to find Lucien before he has a chance to kill anyone else. I'll make him suffer for what he did."

_It is not healthy to think that way. Both patience and impatience-_

"Have their uses, but don't let one cloud the other. I know, Theresa." There was a brief silence. Sparrow swallowed her anger. "How long will this take me Theresa? Weeks? Months? A year?" she asked.

There was no reply.

"Keep your answers then." Sparrow reached the end of the hall.

There was a hole in the ground and it was certainly too wide for her to skirt around it. She looked down and saw nothing. Just darkness.

_You will need to jump into that hole to continue._

"I don't have the best experience with falling." Sparrow knelt down and grabbed a loose tile. She dropped it into the pit and waited to hear a noise.

_Don't worry, the water at the bottom will break your fall._

Great. Like her clothing wasn't uncomfortable enough dry. She holstered her flintlock and jumped. Her stomach knotted as she descended into the darkness. Finally, she felt herself crash into the water. She gasped when she surfaced. It was colder than Bower lake. A torch lit up on the far side of the room. Sparrow swam quickly to the edge of the water where she pulled herself up on the moist dirt. She coughed out the murky water and stood up. The torches did little to light up the dark cave. She shivered and stepped into the next chamber. It was dimly lit by fluorescent blue fungus growing in small patches on the wall. Sparrow jumped from a small ledge. A loud, hard crunch came from under her foot. She lifted it up and in the blue light, she saw pieces of a large bug on the bottom of her shoe. Multiple clicking sounds echoed through the cave. She tensed up at the thought of walking into a beetle nest.

_If a Sparrow is to leave its nest..._

"She must remember to use her talons." Sparrow grabbed hold of the cleavers hooked onto her hips. She pulled them free and waited as the clicking drew closer. She needed to wait for the right moment. There was a small hiss and a beetle came into her sight. Its jaw twitched and it leaped at her. She swung upwards. The cleaver cut through the insect, spraying foul-smelling liquid onto her. Another slashed. Another and another. One latched on to her leg and she shook it hard until it barely clung to her foot. She kicked it up in front of her, grabbed it and cleaved it in half. She looked around and saw no more beetles but she still heard the clicking sound. She looked up and through the dim light, saw a small shadow crawling into a crack in the ceiling. She pulled out her pistol and fired, lighting the room up like lightning. The beetle exploded when the bullet hit, sending little bits of wing, meat and legs falling towards the ground.

Sparrow strapped the cleavers back to her hips and her pistol to her belt. She gathered up a couple of wings and continued down the cave. The tunnels were dark- dark enough to hide a sudden drop. She went back into the juice-stained room and plucked one of fluorescent mushrooms. She was sure its light wouldn't last long so she hurried back into the tunnel. The single mushroom was remarkably dimmer than it was alongside its cluster, but its light seemed to not be deteriorating.

The mushroom didn't give enough light to see very well, but she could vaguely make out the walls and the floor but she would be able to stop herself from running into a wall and she wouldn't be falling down a hole anytime soon.

Sparrow's foot slid on the loamy soil and down came the woman, sliding down a muddy slope, kicking and trying to get ahold of something that would stop her. She crashed unceremoniously into another cold puddle of water. She shivered searched for the mushroom. She saw a glowing clump of dirt and dug it up.

* * *

The mushroom's light had long since died. Sparrow tossed it aside. She had already found another one to replace it with. It seemed to have been a couple of hours since she first stumbled into the cave. She had walked into more than a couple of beetle's nests; she'd pick the wings from the dead insects to give to Elena when she saw her again. Each time, she'd wipe the juice off of her starchy clothes in disgust. After a while, she reached lit room with a portcullis blocking her way forward. She had to wonder why a stone door was this deep under the lake. Sparrow was doubting its functionality when a large stone sphere flew out at her. It stopped in front of her, humming low and glowing blue.

_This is a flit switch. They act as keys to doors many more old machinery. The colour of the orb determines how you open it. All of them are opened by using one of the three different talents the old heroes had. Blue for strength, yellow for skill and red for will._

"So just hit it with my cleaver?"

_To put it simply._

Sparrow unhooked her cleaver from her hip and swung at the sphere. A loud crack was followed by a spark and the cleaver shattered into pieces on the ground, leaving only a handle in Sparrow's hand. She cursed her luck and threw aside the handle. The flit switch flew back to the door and sunk into a slot above it. The portcullis gave a click and opened.

"Well at least it opened," she said flatly, "Remind me not to smack one of those again."

Theresa was silent.

"Nice. Just love that silence."

Behind the portcullis was a cavern. Stalactites the size of trolls hung from the ceiling. There was an opening on the far side of the room, the only way to get there was by crossing the wooden bridges that connected the small islets. Below was a pool covered by a thick layer of mist. She crossed to the other side of the room, killing some more beetles and prying their wings off on her way.

_You've arrived._

"And where exactly have I arrived?" Sparrow asked.

She was in a chamber made of marble. Four braziers in the center of the room lit and glowed an eerie, ghost blue. Behind it, she saw a large circular, gold door. Unrecognizable runes were carved into the door. A light vibration could be felt within the room. The Hero made her way to the door and touched it. It was warm- a relaxing warm. The runes lit up and the golden slabs turned. A loud 'thunk' echoed through the caves and the door opened. Inside, torches lit as she passed. The stone corridor's walls were covered by rustic bookcases with equally decrepit books. She grabbed a few, relatively undamaged books and continued. She ended up in a large dome-like room. Tapestries hung on every wall. One of a farm, a town in flames, a fire-haired woman, a woman in a scarlet robe, a man marrying a woman in a hood and a hero fighting a dragon. There was a strange tingling in the room- a feeling that made hairs stand on end.

"Where am I, Theresa?"

_This is what's left of the Heroes' Guild. For centuries, this academy trained the most supremely gifted sons and daughters of Albion, bound by the blood that flowed in their veins. Once worshiped by the people of Albion, the great Heroes came to be feared and hated. No man alive today remembers the night the Guild burned. And now it lies forgotten._

"Why were they hated?"

_The Heroes served as caretakers of the people of Albion. When there were no longer things to be done, they began selfish quests; using or hurting those who they thought were less than them. The people of Albion grew spiteful of the Heroes and with the invention of firearms, they were able to fight back._

"All of the Heroes were killed?"

_Not all. You are here. Your blood comes from the Hero portrayed on the wall. His name was Nathaniel Black- one of the mightiest Heroes who ever lived. At a young age, he suffered a devastating loss... from which he never truly recovered. But when the world tried to crush him, he fought back. He grew strong, strong enough to reshape the world as he saw fit. The Chamber of Fate, the room you are in now, is the site of one of his last battles with Jack of Blades. The vibrations you feel now are scars left by the force of their clashing Will. That is why I have brought you here. Hold your fingers to your palm._

Sparrow did. Nothing happened. She shook her hand a little but still nothing. "Was that supposed to do something?"

_Think of the vibrations in this room. The way they move inside you. Imagine that energy moving through the veins in your arm and into your fingertips._

She closed her eyes, focusing on the almost nauseating vibrations. She imagined it centering in her heart and being pumped to her hand. A sharp coolness shot through her arm. She opened her eyes and saw brilliant blue lines shining from her veins. They were like the ones the man she saw at Fairfax had. She slowly pulled her fingers from her palms. Tiny strings of electricity danced in between them.

_Excellent. Now point your fingers in the direction you want to expel the lightning._

Her fingers straightened and a beam of twitching lightning shot out. She closed her palm and the electricity died out. The lines on her arm faded.

_You will have opportunities during your quest to improve your technique. You will discover more spells later. You are done today. You start your quest tomorrow morning. For now-_

On the far side of the room, a blue aura formed over a stone pedestal.

_Step through the cullis gate and you will be taken away from here._

* * *

Sparrow caught herself as the world stopped spinning. The cullis gate had left her winded and dazed. She opened her eyes when she heard a shriek. Elena was hankered down in front of her and pulling a wing from a dead beetle. She looked up at her with fear and then confusion.

"What the hell!" She cried.

The Hero looked around. She was on top of Hero Hill.

Elena stood, "Where did you come from?" she questioned. "You were in the tomb!"

Sparrow laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "I was but I guess I'm not now. I went through a cullis gate and now I'm here."

She reached into her pack and pulled out a couple of beetle wings.

"Also, I found these down there and I thought you might want them."

Elena took them with some hesitance. Her face was still twisted in confusion. "It's magic. It shouldn't make sense."

"Did you learn the ways of the Will?"

"I learned a spell, yes. Want to see?" She folded her fingers and felt the coolness in her arm. She opened a shot a bright light at the ground. It let out a loud crack and fizzled away.

"Wow," Elena said. "That was amazing. And here I am with my power of picking beetle wings."

They laughed.

"Anyway, let's head home. It's getting late. I also heard they're pulling out the Bower brew tonight," she said with a nudge.

"What's the occasion?" Sparrow asked.

"They may or may not know that a certain girl had finally received her Will training." Elena smiled and pulled Sparrow with her back down Hero Hill. "Yeah, you definitely need new clothes. You're covered in beetle guts."

Sparrow shoved her over.

* * *

That night, the rain began to fall. The men of the camp quickly set up the awnings and hung paper lanterns from them. Music began to play and they danced, sang, drank and ate. Everyone was celebrating Sparrow's success. The sounds of laughing and cheering echoed through the damp forest. Little kids ran in and out of the woods, catching fireflies and screaming in delight. Sparrow smiled to herself. It was a beautiful night. She loved to see everyone enjoying themselves. She laughed as an inebriated Elena dancing near the fire almost fell into the flames. Someone grabbed her arm, mid-fall and made her land away from it. The two began to laugh. Elena's eyes were closed and her face was red. She snorted and stood, only to fall down again. Sparrow looked around the crowd again. There was the elder telling stories of old Albion, the camp's tattooist drawing on kids' faces. The only person who didn't seem to be having a good time was Theresa who was sitting against a tree and flipping through her tarot cards. She always wondered how a blind woman was able to read them. The red-robed woman looked up at Sparrow, white eyes staring directly at her. She also wondered how she was able to do that too. Theresa looked back down at her cards and started flicking through them again. Sparrow yawned. She wasn't drop-down tired yet but she knew tomorrow was going to be a busier day than today. She stood and hugged her friends goodnight. She went back to her caravan and brushed her teeth. After she was done, she stripped her stained clothes and set her bed. It was a chilly night but it didn't bother her. She loved the cold. She crawled into the cot and adjusted herself. Someone got into bed with her. He made his way up to her face and licked her. Brave Knight gave out a tired whine and fell asleep on her.

Sparrow rolled over with a feeling of bliss. The sounds of people enjoying themselves and the smell of wet trees was relaxing to her. This was her family now. She couldn't deny the feeling of wanting to stay here forever. She didn't want to go on her quest anymore. She just wanted to live the simple life of a gypsy. The woman felt anxiety spiking in her stomach but she fought it down. Maybe after her quest was done, she could come back and settle down. It made her feel a little better but she still loathed the idea of leaving everyone behind. A tear rolled down her cheek and she fell into a deep slumber.


	3. The Bandit

**Welcome, Rook115, pattatack, Fang Truckey, Hayabusa, MovieLoverSlashBookReader.**

* * *

_When a sparrow comes of age, it leaves its nest and explore the world. Many alone, some with company. In Albion, the sparrows travel north, far above the green mountains. Past Echo Hills and into Woodseed. There the sparrow will meet more of its kind and find a mate. She'll make friends and enemies but come Autumn, she leaves them both behind and heads home to lay her eggs. A sparrow's journey can be filled with joy and excitement but more often than not, it is a lonely journey._

* * *

The smell of boiled beef woke Sparrow up the next morning. She sat up, wiping the sleep from her eyes and brushing down her bed hair. Brave Knight was gone from her caravan. He probably smelled it too and went to look for a hand out. She rose from her bed and put her sticky clothes on. She briefly debated on whether or not she should wash her clothes before heading to Bowerstone. She left her caravan and headed to the cooling fire in the center of the camp. There she saw Elena slaving over the fire pit. Brave Knight sat next to her. The blonde looked up and smiled. "Hungry?" she asked. She grabbed the meat from the pot and put them on a wooden plate. She poured melted cheese over the bits of beef and handed it to Sparrow.

"Cow Combo?" She took the plate and sat down next to her. "The reason?" she asked.

"Do I need a reason?" A smile was on Elena's face but it was mixed with something else. Sparrow knew it very well. She had felt it last night. Her friend huddled up close to her with her own plate. Sparrow watched as the woman reached for her food. It was barely noticeable, but she could see the smallest shake to her fingers.

Sparrow bit into her own food. It was perfect, like Elena's cooking always was. Juicy and tender but well-seasoned with spices found around Bower lake. The good was great but she couldn't pay much attention to the taste. "Why don't you come with me?" She asked Elena.

Elena gave out a sorrowful chuckle, "Quests are for Heroes. I'm a beetle-killer."

"Enough of that," Sparrow said between bites, "You're great at swordplay."

Elena laughed and bumped against Sparrow, "I'd be killed within a month." A silence grew between the girls. Only the noise of Brave Knight's begging and the wind catching through the trees could be heard. "I don't want you to go," Elena said. "I'm afraid I won't see you again."

"Don't say that Elena. Theresa said that I was destined to find Lucien and put an end to his mad schemes. Her cards are never wrong..."

"I'm not worried about you dying," Elena said quickly. "I know you won't. But what about me? I can't stand the idea of being left behind while you go on some big adventure."

"Are you jealous?"

"No. I just don't want to be left behind. You're my friend... I don't want you to go."

Sparrow was about to say something but a chilly voice behind them stopped her short. "Go with her, Elena." The two turned to see the blind gypsy in red above them.

"But I'm not a Hero."

"No you are not. But you will go with her. The cards have shown me a significance you will play on this quest. Without you, Sparrow will surely die." Theresa leaned down and handed the two a card that had clearly been looked over meticulously. The sides were bent and the paper was dirtied. On the card was a picture of a dying bird clinging on to an empty scabbard. Blood dripped from the sparrow's breast. A jagged piece of black stone had been lodged into her. "You may not be a Hero, Elena, but you have been chosen by fate to help Sparrow on her quest."

The two were silent.

"I have packed your things Elena. You will find them in your caravan. Get some more rest and I'll wait for you at the gate."

And with that, the gypsy left the two girls to mull over in silence. Brave Knight had begun smacking his tail into the dirt excitedly.

* * *

The girls and Brave Knight had eaten, bathed and were leaving the camp. Like the day before, the sun was just rising and Theresa stood at the gate and waited for them. When they got closer, the gypsy pulled a bag from her pocket and handed it to Elena. It made a metallic jingle as she grabbed it. "Two-hundred and fifty gold pieces. Two young adults have bought your caravans."

"You... Sold our caravans?" Elena put the bag in her pack. Theresa said nothing, which was commonplace for her acknowledgement. "So all together we have seven-hundred and twenty-four pieces of gold. That'll get us a room tonight in Bowerstone, food and maybe a replacement for Sparrow's talons. But after that, what do we do?"

"You own a magnate personality, Elena. Money will always find its way to you. There is a tailor in Bowerstone Market. I recommend you purchase new clothes." With that, Theresa nodded and the gates opened to reveal the misty Bower lake morning. She moved out of the way and motioned for them to go. "Good luck."

So the girls and their dog left the gypsy camp. They crossed the bridge and gave the camp one last glance as Theresa closed the gates.

There were few words spoken between Sparrow and Elena. They both retreated into deep thought. There was something that was bothering Sparrow. There was an uneasy finality about what Theresa did. The seeress had sold her house. She wasn't expecting them to come back. The implications were disturbing. Would they die on this journey? Would they find a new home? Sparrow couldn't imagine ever wanting to live anywhere else but the camp. It is her only home... Or was. Maybe Theresa saw something different. Maybe the camp would be destroyed and there wouldn't be anything left to return to? The thought made her sick but it also filled her with an quickening urge to take down Lucien. But would he be behind it? Why'd she assume that he would be? Why was she even on this journey in the first place? For vengeance? Theresa obviously knew more than she had let on.

One thing was for sure, Sparrow wasn't going to be home for quite some time.

Sparrow had been so deep in thought that she hadn't realized they had already arrived at the road leading to Bowerstone. Or the road that would have. There was a barricade that completely blocked the way off. On top of the barricade stood a guard, dressed in the same uniform Derek wore all those years ago. She called to him and he jumped. She saw his hand reach for his pistol but stopped when he saw them. He smiled, "Hello ladies. How may I help you today?"

"What's with the barricade? Can we get through?" Sparrow asked.

"Apologies, citizen," he said, "The road to Bowerstone is closed due to the bandit activity. I'm afraid that as long as the bandit Thag is alive, the road stays closed."

"You can't just let us through?" Elena asked.

"Well if you're an 'urry like, you could always take care of Thag yourself." The guard gave them a dismissive wave and went back to adding more spiked logs to the barricade.

_It would seem Thag has been capturing traders on their way to the Bower Lake_

Elena yelped but Sparrow hushed her.

_He is a danger to all and must be dealt_

The Hero's friend pulled out the bag Theresa gave her. She opened it and inside she found something more than gold. Theresa had given her a guild seal as well.

_Sparrow, with your new power you should be able to defeat him and his gang and continue your quest. No doubt they're at his camp near the farther end of the lake._

Sparrow saw Elena's confusion and said "Old Hero relic. It will let her talk to you. I don't think I understand it either."

* * *

Down towards the lake, Sparrow and Elena found Thag's camp. It was secreted away in a thick grove next to the water. She wondered why she had never seen it before. The camp itself was walled in by tall, spiked logs. There was a green banner hung above the gate and on it, a skull was drawn with antlers in messy white paint.

The gate was open.

_Keep your wits about you- it may be a trap._

Sparrow grabbed her cleaver. She looked over and saw Elena already holding her crossbow. The two nodded and entered. They were silent and so was the camp. It was like no one was there at all. In middle of the settlement stood a small wooden cabin and beside it was what appeared to be a cage. They were getting closer but a noise caught Sparrow's attention and she stopped them in their tracks. It was short and quiet but there was no doubt she heard it. Sounded like a little crack of a twig. She dared to look up and she saw bandits littering the branches of the trees like crows. "Arse, Denny! You gave us away!" A man who she could only assume to be Denny cursed to himself before saying something else. He found it hard, however, to speak with a bolt in his throat. He gave a wet cough, a spasm and fell backwards off the branch and onto the roof of the cabin. He struck the side and laid like a rag doll. The bandits and Sparrow alike were taken back for a second. Beside her, Elena reloaded her crossbow.

"Let's get on with it then," she said, shooting another bandit down. The rest of the mercenaries jumped and landed in front of them, snarling and pulling their swords from their scabbards.

"You'll pay for that, priss."

And with that, the battle started. Three bandits were immediately on Sparrow. One swung at her and she backhanded his sword with her cleaver and slashed his exposed chest from his hip to his shoulder. Blood spewed and the man fell. The second bandit's blade fell downwards to her but met nothing but the dirt. She had chaînéd out of the way and gave him a rough kick to the knee followed up by a vertical kick that landed on the man's jaw and set him wheeling to the ground. Brave Knight appeared and bit into his neck. She looked to Elena and saw a group of five bandits on her. She held a couple of them off with her shield. She even dispatched one by shoving her sword from beneath her shield and into the man's waist. A bandit with a maul struck her shield and sent her tumbling to the ground. Brave Knight took care of the last one Sparrow was fighting so she pulled her pistol from its holster and popped three of the mercenaries full of lead. The three dropped and she was out of bullets. The big one laughed and brought his maul up over Elena and would have crushed the girl with it if he had not flung it aside. His body began to tremor and he screamed something unintelligible. Sparrow didn't know if she should have stopped. She just kept casting. The coldness in her veins and the glow of them intensified. And the man screamed louder. Elena peered up at him in fear and dragged herself away. His body started to misshapen and her friend covered her eyes but Sparrow couldn't look away. The man yelped and his body exploded like an overripe watermelon with tendrils of electricity dancing between the pieces. Sparrow just stared in a sickening shock at the pool of meat and blood she caused. She felt the urge to vomit but swallowed it down and steeled herself. She ordered her dog to find Thag while she went to Elena. Brave Knight immediately stuck his nose to the ground and ran to the cabin.

"Are you okay?" She asked Elena through shaky breaths. The girl nodded and Sparrow offered her hand. Her friend took it and meant to thank her but she said nothing as the door to the cabin blew into tiny pieces and a big man in leather armor and an antler-pinned hood came through. He kicked Brave Knight in his rib cage and shoved the weeping dog out of the way.

"No one defies Thag the Impatient! I'll gut you myself!" He screamed. "I'll give you three seconds to get ready... No, wait! Two!..." The girls looked at each other. "Oh soddit!" He grabbed his sword and charged at them with a cry.

A bolt found its way into his shoulder; another in his hip and finally his knee. He fell and cursed. "He isn't too bright, is he?" Elena said hooking her crossbow over her back. She didn't get a response.

Sparrow found herself walking over to Thag. She couldn't understand what she was doing. It was like something primal inside of her had woken up. She grabbed the struggling man's hair and pulled his head back. She then dragged her rusty cleaver across his throat. Blood sprayed and the man gurgled and coughed before collapsing in a pool of crimson red. Without hesitation, she cut his hood free from him and stuffed it into her pack. She then grabbed the key from his corpse and unlocked the prisoners' cage. The traders inside grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. They cried tears of joy and promised to tell everyone about their rescuer. She didn't really pay them any mind however- she barely noticed when they left to thank Elena. Everything just seemed distant and muffled. She found it hard to concentrate.

Eventually they left and Sparrow wordlessly picked up her injured dog and led the group back to the barricade.

_They will never forget your kindness_, Theresa whispered.

It was a quick walk up the hill and towards the stony streets of Bowerstone. The guard positioned at the barricade was just finishing up when Sparrow called out to him. "Guardsmen," she began. He looked back at her, holding one of the logs in his arms. Sparrow lifted the blood-stained hood. "Thag is dead."

"I was just about to finish too," he said with a sigh. He dropped the log and began to take apart the massive barricade.

* * *

Sparrow had never been to Bowerstone's Market- though to be fair; it was hardly a place for a beggar child.

She might have felt anxious standing out in the crowd like a sore thumb. A woman clad in ill-fitting, torn and stained clothes (it probably didn't help that she was carrying a beaten dog either) amidst women with blue petticoats and men in well-crafted suits. She couldn't help but to not focus on anything but Castle Fairfax rising out of Bowerstone Central. It looked just as marvelous as she remembered but it wasn't awe she was feeling. She couldn't decide if she was feeling anger or misery. She was pulled from her thoughts when her friend tapped her shoulder. "We should get Brave Knight fixed up, yes? An alchemist I know will have something for him."

Elena took Sparrow's arm and led her over the crowded bridge and to the left. She took them inside a foul-smelling building that made Brave Knight whimper. Inside was a man dressed in a weird leather and cotton attire. He also wore magnifying spectacles. "Elena!" He said coming to greet her. "Who's your friend?" He saw Sparrow's dog. "_Friends,_" he corrected.

"This is Sparrow and Brave Knight. He got hurt. Do you have anything for dogs?"

For the next ten minutes, the ladies sat and watched as the alchemist with the weird glasses pour brightly glowing liquids in and out of tubes and funnels that Sparrow couldn't put a name to. He would often smell the concoction and only when his face cringed in disgust did he nod and pour it into a bottle. "Done!" He exclaimed, walking over to the girls and put the glass up to the dog. The dog smelled the liquid and growled. He turned away and dug his head into Sparrow's arm.

"Come on, Brave Knight," she said, prying the sad dog's jaw agape so the alchemist could pour the potion in. The dog gagged and buried his face back into Sparrow's arm.

"That'll do," the alchemist said.

That night, the girls rented a room at the Cow and Corset. The day had been spent finding replacement equipment for Sparrow. The first stop was at the Bit of Skirt tailoring store on the Sovereign road to Fairfax. There they tossed her old stitched clothing and bought a light cotton outfit that would allow Sparrow's taxing maneuvers. It was a gainsboro, sleeveless shirt. It came with leather binding to wrap the exposed arms with. They also bought brown, baggy pants and boots. They fit nicely on Sparrow but would do very little if she took a hit.

Afterwards, they visited the smithy to replace Sparrow's rusty cleavers. The iron in the cleavers wasn't new but they were sharper than the previous ones and they seemed like they could last another five years before needing to be replaced. Sparrow appreciated the feeling of the cool bluish iron in her hands again.

* * *

Sparrow was hard of dreaming that night. It wasn't the fact that the bed was uncomfortable and it wasn't that both a snoring dog and Elena clung onto her tightly in their sleep. Every time Sparrow closed her eyes, she saw that bandit shaking as electricity coursed through his body.

_...Sparrow can hear him. He screams and shakes. She can tell he was trying to talk but the seizure caused his words to be muffled and spastic. The shakes increase and his eyes bulge. There is a loud pop and his eyes tear open and out comes his melted brain and..._

Sparrow untangled herself from her friend and walked out of the room. She needed to be somewhere other than that bed right now. She went downstairs in the near-empty tavern and went up to the barmaid behind the counter. The girl looked at her weirdly- she must've looked like a wreck. "What will twenty get me?" Sparrow asked.

"A lukewarm Gutter Beer," she said with a light laugh.

"I'll have that please."

The barmaid shook her head and took the gold pieces. "You'll need something cleaner... And stronger." The woman disappeared behind the kegs and came back with a frosted glass bottle. She handed it to Sparrow and said, "Bowerstone Brown. Best in the region. Worth seventy but you look like you need it. Feel better dear."

She must've _really_ looked like a wreck. She thanked the barmaid and stepped outside of the tavern. She walked to the center of the Town Square and sat underneath the clock tower. It was a warm summer's night- something very similar to the nights she spent at the gypsy camp. She pulled the beer to her lips and took a large drink, and then another, and another. She could feel her memory of the bandit soften- though only slightly. She could still see the man exploding like a grape; maybe a few more drinks would fix that.

"He was a child once," came a voice behind her. She turned and saw a woman standing in the moonlight. She was completely shrouded in shadow, save for her glowing white eyes. She continued, "That man you killed today. When he was a child, he saw his father killed by Balverines. He became a beggar on these very streets like you. When you found your way to safety, the boy found his way to pillaging, murdering and raping."

"I don't understand," Sparrow says, setting her drink down. "Why are you telling me this?"

Theresa sat next to the Hero, "Think about your life. All the places you've been, the people you've known, everything you've done. How many moments, how many memories? Thag and his men- they had just as many, but now they have none, because of you."

Sparrow felt the alcohol in her stomach rising to her throat.

"Do you feel the weight of responsibility yet?"

A tear rolled down Sparrow's cheek. She wiped it and nodded.

"People die. People have died by your hands. They've had lives, they've had lovers, they've had children. In the end, you can't control other people. If they attack you, their life is forfeit, no matter who they are- they made a conscious decision to kill. This is a belief that was made when the Hero's Guild was first constructed. It is something they've _all_ had to accept."

"I understand," Sparrow said lightly.

The gypsy stood, "Come," she said, "The world is better off without Thag- and certainly Bower Lake is in your debt. Already, news of the bandit king's death is spreading- for better and for worse."

"For worse?" Sparrow questioned.

"You've killed one of the three bandit kings haunting the Bower region. The other two kings will be watching you. You're a threat."

Sparrow took another drink.

They stopped at a vista overlooking the ocean. Theresa pointed out to the sea where a large, jagged rock jutting from the waters. It was far away but still massive in size. "That is where Lucien is now. The Tattered Spire."

"The Spire?"

"The Spire was intended as a conduit for all the magic in the world, granting the Kingdom's ruler a power so great he could bend reality to his will. On the day of its completion and the first wish was made, a light-bloomed inside- though it's nature could not have been darker. Albion shattered. Centuries of civilisation were wiped out in moments, its people erased from existence. Some say this was the first wish: an end to a hollow and corrupt world. And for a purer one to take its place. And now the Spire rises again, by Lucien's hand. Lucien found documents which foretold the coming of one who would stop him from using the Spire. That is why your sister died... and that is why you will face him."

From her pocket, Theresa pulled a deck. "The cards have shown me this. Each of the five Heroes you will see in the cards is a step on a hidden path to Lucien's downfall. And the lifeforce of Heroes- Will itself- is the key to the Spire's power." Theresa handed the deck to Sparrow. "Here. You will know how to use them."

"But how will you-"

"I will not need them."

Sparrow didn't know how to reply to that.

"The Hero of Strength- the third Hero is in Oakfield- but you must hurry, Lucien's agents are scouring the land even as we speak. You must find the five Heroes before he does. Because you are the Sixth: the Hero of Purpose and the one who will bring his downfall."

* * *

Sparrow snuck back into bed. What Theresa had said was still fresh in her mind and she had so many questions to ask the cards but a long-awaited fatigue set in and she could no longer resist sleep's call. She cuddled up to Elena and Brave Knight and drifted off.


	4. The Journey Begins

**Pre-notes: Sorry about the wait. I'm already about 1k words into the next chapter but I had to put everything on hold because of a Psychology paper I had (and still have) to do so expect a little bit of a delay again. I'm hoping to get back on a regular schedule with this. Thank you for your patience. We're starting to step out of line story-wise.**

**Welcome gaara king of sand!**

**Act 2/7****  
****The Quest for Strength**

* * *

_When a sparrow has found a potential mate, the bird will descend to look for a radiant object to present to its partner. It will find scraps of metal or bits of broken jewelry. However, when none is to be found, the Sparrow extends its search into mineral-rich caves of the Bower region. Few find their way to the sunlight again._

* * *

Sparrow and her companions had woken up before the sun had risen; she was fiddling with her new deck of tarot cards. Theresa had told her that she would know how to use them but so far she just looked like she was playing a card game by herself. She was growing frustrated with herself and the lack of success. She shuffled the cards again and closed her eyes and pulled one. She opened her eyes and saw one of a fat Hobbe trying to stuff a large chunk of diamond in his mouth. Behind the creature was the inside of a cave with body bags hanging from the ceiling. Sparrow scoffed and put the cards away. Unless the Hero of Strength was a Hobbe, she clearly wasn't very good at fortune-telling.

"Maybe you have to bleed on them," Elena said, eating her breakfast of bacon and bread. "You never know," she said when Sparrow scoffed.

"I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to bleed on the cards."

The girls jumped when the tavern shook. A loud crash had sounded from outside the inn. The girls got up and headed downstairs, not at all surprised when they saw other patrons emerge from their rooms with tired eyes to see what had roused them from their sleep. Outside, the sky was darkened and grey. Strong winds blew, thunder crackled and lightning shot across the sky. A hurricane? It was clear last night, Sparrow thought. There were more people out on the streets then, all looking for the source of their awakening. Out of their houses they stumbled, frightful and chilled shivers wracking their persons. More thunder shook the city and the people began to panic. Strong bellows of wind raced through the streets and threw about barrels, rubbish and shingles from roofs.

"Hurricane!" A woman screamed, grabbing her children and running back inside her house. The town square broke into a frenzied stampede, and Sparrow was shoved and knocked away from Elena and Brave. She kicked and pushed at the current of bodies dragging her away from her friends when a fat man pushed her to the ground. She was surrounded by a forest of legs and kicking feet that struck her body. She tried to get up but found no room. She received a few kicks to the skull and she felt her head swimming. Was this really how a Heroine was going to go out? Stampeded by scared crowds of people? A gunshot cracked into the air and people dispersed just enough for a guardsmen to lean down and pick her up. She recognized him as Derek when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her tightly to his chest- she doubted he recognized her. He fought his way through the crowd, arm securely wrapped around her like a life belt out at sea.

They found their way out of the crowd and the reddened girl removed herself from him and looked for her friends. "Miss!" Derek cried, "Please go back to your home!" Though his words were completely ignored when she saw a dog dash from the crowd, past both of them and down the road to Old Town. Elena was nowhere to be found but Sparrow trusted her to go back to the tavern.

With no thought of the guard's protest, Sparrow ran after Brave Knight. Her dog had never acted like this before. He was always by her side, no matter what. To run off into the fog was very much unlike him. The road took Sparrow through The district of Old Town, where she had grown up. It was nearly impossible to see anything past the mist though. She silently thanked nature for keeping distractions blanketed by the fog.

She ran through the streets after Brave. It was a miracle she could still follow him. It seemed like no matter how slow or fast Sparrow ran, her dog's tail would always be somewhat visible. He led her through the alleyway where Bertha and her mother lived and past the stock house. Sparrow followed him down the stairs, past the cemetery and out the gate to Rookridge. "Brave!" She fruitlessly called.

Sparrow spent the next two hours following Brave Knight through the jagged cliffs of Rookridge. It was a large raise of rock that overlooked the ocean. If one were to look down to the bottom, they might've seen crashed ships and broken bodies strung along the shore. Not that Sparrow could see it, even if she had time for such things.

Through a small outlet of trees, past a toppled over carriage and through large marble statues; Brave led and Sparrow followed. The Heroine had hoped that the daylight would dissipate or soften the clouds in the very least, but there was no such luck. The freeze of the wind against wet clothing was just now setting in, and Sparrow shivered.

"That's 'er," she heard from the fog.

* * *

"Sparrow!" Elena called. Her voice was barely legible above the roar of the typhoon. She was in what she imagined to be Rookridge and to be honest, she wasn't sure what brought her here- she had just felt a pulling. She was approaching another patch of trees when she heard a sound louder than thunder; an explosion shook the ground and made a light through the fog. Elena's ears went deaf with the explosion.

Against her better judgment, she approached the flames, hands not leaving her ears. When she got closer, she noticed that the fire was coming from a bridge. It connected the north and south cliffs of Rookridge- or it did once. It was now just ash and piles of scattered wood with fire struggling to stay alive in the frigid winds. Again, against her better judgment, she peaked over the dilapidated bridge and she saw two figures floating in the rapid waves below. Her gut twisted as recognition dawned on her and she started to panic. She briefly paced back and forth debating how to get down there until she just sucked in a breath and threw herself down the gap.

The landing was hard and the sudden stop threatened to knock her out, but she knew that she had to fight the sleep off if she was going to survive this. She shook her pounding head and grabbed the collars of Sparrow and Brave and tried to keep them afloat but without usable arms, she found it difficult to keep herself above water. She tried to kick her legs but not much was accomplished.

Every wave pushed her head underwater and she cried out in frustration. There was a shore near them, if Elena could get in standing distance of it, she could drag them out. She hadn't noticed before but there was a strong current pulling them out to sea after every wave. She prayed she could use it to her advantage. She waited as each wave crashed against her and she continued to lose more oxygen. She stretched her legs and kicked them in the hopes of finding a foothold. She felt the grace of sand beneath her foot and turned to see that she was close enough to the shore. More than that, she saw that a man-made cave was dug into the side as well. She hoped it might lead them back up to the top of the cliff. She tried to dig her heel into the sand and then her toes but she couldn't stick. The sand was loose and slippery and the current was too strong. She tried again out of desperation and cursed her luck. She screamed and threw Brave Knight to shore, hoping that she could paddle her way there. The dog washed up on the land but Elena's efforts of her and Sparrow's own survival were proving to be fruitless. She shook and kicked and slapped at the water but it kept pulling them away. Elena turned to see a larger wave looming over her before it shoved her under. She opened her eyes and saw with stinging eyes the coral-filled and rocky bottom of the water. She thrashed about as to gain control of direction but the sea held her and spun her around. Just as everything started getting fuzzy, another wave came and threw her onto land. She coughed and crawled on all fours like she was a Hollow Man. She checked behind her to make sure she was still holding on to her friend. When she saw the sleeping brunette, she pulled and carried them farther onto shore. Elena saw a cave in the side of the cliff; it wasn't the one she saw earlier- hell, she didn't even know if they were close to the one she saw earlier. All she knew was that they needed to get away from the ocean as much as possible.

She hardly even cared if beetles were in there.

* * *

Sparrow saw stars- literally. She awoke confused and in pain. Over her she saw a dark clear night with millions of beautiful blue stars. However, none of them were familiar to the ones she had spent a decade looking up at while she lived in Bower Lake. These stars were elongated and deformed. Why was she seeing stars anyway? Sparrow couldn't quite remember why, but she knew she shouldn't be seeing stars. She couldn't put her finger on it. She gave herself a couple more minutes to sleep and when the fatigue faded away, she remembered that she had been in a hurricane. She opened her eyes again and saw that she was not looking at stars, they were ... Crystals? She was in a cave? She sat up and immediately her gut swelled and she leaned over and vomited ocean water onto the stony floor. She coughed and retched a few times more, gagging at the taste of salt, and brought herself to her feet. The cave was littered with these crystals. They glowed a lighter grey and were formed beautifully in clusters on the walls and ceilings. Sparrow decided explore a little bit. She stumbled across Elena in the other cavern, using her sword to cut the crystals free before stuffing them into her pack. It was nearly fit to burst. When Elena heard her, she turned and greeted her friend. "Was wondering when you'd get off your arse," she said. Elena was covered with bruises and mud and every part of her body was slumped like she was in pain but her attempt at hiding it and her act of camaraderie was refreshing. "I was wondering when you'd wake up. How do you feel?"

Like I drowned, Sparrow thought. "Fine."

"You had me scared there for a few minutes. For both of our lives," she said bitterly. "I poured a potion down your throat and you puked out the water. Figured it was only a matter of time before you stopped napping."

"What happened?" She asked. Sparrow knew that question was coming. Truth be told, she didn't exactly know what had happened- it was fuzzy.

"I remember crossing the bridge and that's all," she said. Remembering at this point was very much unlikely that she was going to remember.

_It was an attempt on your life._

"What?" They both asked.

_The Bandit King of the Ridge. He knew his brother's murderer would be passing through. He placed bombs on the bridge and waited for Sparrow to trip the wire._

"How nice of them," Sparrow said, now remembering where the fresh burns came from.

_The time for revenge will come. For now, you must continue your journey to Oakfield._

Elena started to voice her distaste for the thought of going back out into the typhoon when a familiar bark echoed through the small space. The girls turned and saw Brave Knight at the entrance to the cave and behind him... A clear and sunny day. They went out and the sun warmed their wet clothes. There were no clouds, no winds- the only way they could've known that there had been a storm at all were the rocks and sand being covered in water. It hadn't been too long since Elena was drowning with Sparrow and yet the hurricane was gone.

Neither girl dared to speak of the strange turn of events, fearing that they would jinx their queer change of luck. Instead, they followed Brave Knight as he seemed to be leading them back to that other cave. Sparrow noted how different he was acting now. He galloped at a slow pace and continually checked behind him to see if they were still following.

He lead them through the calm waters and back to the man-made cave. It smelled rank and faintly of fecal matter. It was very quiet and it felt stuffy. Inside, they found a man, poorly dressed but a kind man from what they could tell. He and his son Joey had been exploring the coast when they had been separated. His son had apparently run off into the caves.

"Oh, it's lucky you happened by. I didn't dare go in by meself!"

"Scared of tight places?" Elena asked. She was too, but she would have to get over it.

"No," the man said. "You see. Er... Well, probably should have mentioned this, but, uh... There are some people who think that there are Hobbes in this cave actually."

"Hobbes? Like in the bedtime stories they tell children?" The man looked away in embarrassment but she waved it off. "No it's understandable. I'm sure someone's passed through here and saw a rock that looked like what they imagined to be a Hobbe. Or maybe a beetle. There's no such thing as Hobbes," Elena said.

"Right. Of course."

There might as well have been Hobbes in this cave, maybe then they'd have the incentive to hurry through it but Herman had trouble keeping up. It was a tight series of tunnels and it was rank with a sulfurous smell clinging to the walls- it also smelled a little bit off for a cave as well but Sparrow couldn't put her finger on it. It was in the next chamber that they found out what the extra smell was. What they found stopped them dead in their tracks. The floor was stained red and was littered with various parts of human bodies. Arms, eyes, bowels and skulls were gathered in a pile of what could be leftovers from some great beast's meal. She identified the scent- it was blood and bile.

Herman threw up into the dirt.

"Who could've done this?" Elena gasped.

There was a sound coming from the next few rooms. It sounded like moaning or snoring. The group began to head that way and the sound grew louder.

"What the hell are those?" Sparrow whispered. The floor was covered with sleeping creatures. They were small and their skin was shark-like and covered in patchy fuzz. They were dressed in tattered clothes that bore a striking resemblance to clothing Sparrow had seen children in Bowerstone wear. Their faces were distorted. Some features were human-like while others had similarities to goblins; eyes were unevenly sized and spaced and many more of their faces were twisted like they had been mutilated. Sharp, skinny teeth jutted out from their mangled lips- they all looked just like the design on that tarot card. They all were curled up like sleeping children on the floor.

"Hob-!"

Elena covered Herman's mouth. "Don't wake them up," she warned in a quiet voice.

They were going to have to tiptoe their way through the room or attack them but if the slaughter in the other room was their doing, it might be more than they can handle. There were many Hobbes in the room- they'd be easily overtaken.

* * *

There was a door blocking the path to the rest of the cave. It was large and hastily boarded together with planks of wood. There was a wooden cog that would be used in opening the massive door but the way to use it was not apparent in the slightest. It had nearly been an hour since they passed the sleeping Hobbes and they were itching for a way out... And to find Joey of course. Sparrow left Elena and Herman alone to try and figure out the locks while she and her dog would look for another path. They backtracked a little bit and found another tunnel to go through. It had a one-way drop so she'd have to hope that it was the right way.

Sparrow hopped down onto the rocky bottom below with Brave Knight by her side. She could still here the echoes of the other two they left behind. She listened to them as she looked for her way by. It started nearly as a whisper from Herman.

"Those things back there," he started lightly, "They couldn't actually have been children, could they?"

"I don't know," Elena said. Sparrow could hear her tinkering on the door.

"Oh Joey. He's all I have left."

There was silence. Sparrow was now in a large dome-like room. On the far end, there was a doorway that had been boarded up. On the ceiling hung blood-stained hemp bags that swung warily in the non-existent breeze. The Hero had wondered what would've made them bloody but she saw an arm dangling out of one and pushed it from her mind. She needed to find a way out. What's dead was dead.

"I'm sorry... You must think I'm pathetic," she heard Herman say.

"No I don't. This is scary for me too so I can't even begin to imagine what it's like for a-"

There was a prolonged cry that echoed through the cave. It was that of a fearful child. "That's Joey! I can hear him! Get this door open!" A moment passed and Sparrow heard the wooden gate open and heard Herman's cry of joy when he found his son in his arms again. It should've felt good to hear it but there was something off- something that made her hairs stand on end.

"Herman?" She heard Elena say. The way she said it made her sick to her stomach. Something was definitely off.

"Joey? Are you okay?"

"Son?"

There was a sound that Sparrow would not soon forget. It was the crying of a child but it sounded like he convulsing.

"Joey?!"

The crying turned into a goblin-like giggle and there was a loud tear of what sounded like skin.

Elena let out a blood-curdling scream very much unlike anything Sparrow had ever heard from her. It was a scream based on confusion and shock and it echoed down the cavern halls. Sparrow ran and sliced the boarded doorway open and behind it she found her friend, Herman and a Hobbe. The Hobbe was dead and blood covered Elena's sword. She looked and saw her friend's face to be whiter than any snow that had blanketed Bowerstone; she was shaking from her very core. Herman was leaning over the Hobbe with a dead expression.

"I was too late," he said with a tear rolling down his cheek. "He was... They turned my son into..."

Sparrow couldn't even find words to say. The man just sat and stared at what was once his son.

"I always told him those stories were made up. But they were true." He then laid himself on top of the Hobbe and pulled something out of his pocket. He placed a metal-looking objects into his quivering lips and a flash of light blinded the girls and Herman's head explode onto the wall. Elena shrieked.

A loud cry came from down the hall. They turned and saw a horde of Hobbes pointing and growling at them.

_Head for the surface, quickly!_

The girls needed no more prompting. They threw their heads down and booked it through the cave. They could hear the manic cries and stomping behind them. They were in a room with stone-like bridges connecting together and leading up to a ladder.

_That is your way out._

The girls got to the ladder and Sparrow shoved Elena to it first. She looked behind her to see the monsters right on their tales and she slung Brave Knight over her shoulder and climbed. She could hear the Hobbes climbing as well. She felt a claw scratch at her ankle and she felt a warm wetness on it after. She was nearly to the top now. She could see Elena peering down at her. Her friend reached down and grabbed Brave off of her shoulders and slammed the metal hatch shut when she got out. The two girls held down the door against the goblins. Sparrow told Elena to let go and she did so. Blue tendrils of electricity sparked through Sparrows arms and she electrocuted the metal hatch. They heard a distorted yelp and the banging stopped. The girls then put slabs of wood in the handles to prevent any more from coming.

They laid back and caught their breath. They sat there for minutes on end just sweating and shaking out the last of their adrenaline.

"Hobbes are real," Elena said.

"They are. I'm starting to think that tarot card predicted this."

"Great."

There was a silent agreement between the girls. Right now they just wanted to lie down and process what had happened.

It had been two hours since they escaped the Hobbe cave and the sun started to set. The girls both got up and started making their way to Oakfield. They left the shack that housed the hatch and continued up the craggy hills past a long deserted tavern and more mines. There was also a silhouette of an ancient cathedral shrouded in the bloody light of the sunset. The temple stood on a lonely spire of rock out at sea that was connected to Rookridge by a quickly deteriorating bridge. There was something awful about that place; the air became still and heavy when they were near the bridge. It made Sparrow's gut sink. She could tell by the way Elena seemed to be holding her breath that she felt the same. Or maybe it was still the shock they experienced with Herman and Joey. It was hard to tell.

There was an ancient stone arch they passed through on their way- it seemed like everything instantly changed when they passed. The air was a lot fresher and there was a light tingling sensation in the air. They followed the dirt path down the mountain until they arrived at the forestry region of Oakfield. It was night and the girls were tired so they made their way to the Sandgoose inn and rented a room for the week and went to bed without eating.

Tomorrow they needed to find the Hero. It would be an easier task now that she knew how to use the tarot cards Theresa gave her.

Sleep came slowly to her that night. Every time she started to drift off to sleep, she's start hearing Joey's distorted cries and Elena's scream. It was haunting her and the way Elena was shifting in the bed, she imagined that she wasn't alone.


	5. A Bridge Too Far

**Pre-Notes: I want to take this second to apologize. I had finished this chapter in early May but I had been so busy, I forgot to upload it. I am already more than two thousand words into the next chapter so it will be coming out sooner than later. Thank you for your patience.**

* * *

_"And indeed; I shall name this land Oakfield for the seed I plant will nurture all life within the oak's reach. The sun will surely bless these rocks and rivers and everyone born into this land will know the joy and peace that the light brings. Forever shall people praise and relish in the sun's glow."__  
__-Memoirs of Albert the Lumimous._

* * *

It was early in the morning and the sun had yet to rise. Sparrow sat at one of the tables outside of the tavern. She had been anxiously shuffling the cards for nearly a half hour now. She finally took in a deep breath and picked one card from the deck. She flipped it over and on the card was a picture of a sphere of light that sat like a butterfly in the large but gentle hand of an unseen character. That wasn't nearly enough, she thought and grabbed another. That time it was of a figure hooded in a white cloak. A tear rolled down the mostly concealed face and the figure clutched a red ribbon in their hands so strongly that the fabric started to break like rocks. It stood above a tree sprout. Still not enough but it was pretty. Sparrow stood and decided to explore the village a little. She followed the dirt roads as they twisted and turned through the forests and houses. She found her way to the docks.

She hadn't realized that Oakfield was next to the ocean. She wondered what it must have been like here during the hurricane. The waters were still as though they were made of fine glass. Out in the ocean, she could see the black ridges of the Spire. She left and explored the other half of the village. And found herself following a road made of stone. She kept following until she reached a lake. Above it, a water fall pooled from a white cathedral. The sun was rising and light bloomed from behind it. It's long and golden tendrils stretched into the radiant green trees of the forest and danced across her face. She had never seen such beauty. Oakfield was truly a marvel. She continued up the stone road, past the beekeeping farm, and found herself inside the temple. It was completely empty. "Hello?" She called and her voice only echoed back almost like singing. No one was there. With no reason to stay, she headed back to The Sandgoose, now paying close attention to the beautiful swaying of the trees and the gentle breeze that pushed them. She had also seen beetles on her way back to the tavern but they ignored her for the most part- only sparing a wayward glance as they climbed the trees in search of fruit. Why couldn't she have lived here when she was little?

_Oakfield is among the lushest regions of Albion. It owes its fertility to the extraordinary Golden Oak, which lives for only a few decades, before producing a single golden acorn. The monks at the Temple of Light partake in a pilgrimage to White Spire to bless it in pools of light. After the journey, they come back and replant this acorn, and as the tree is reborn, so are all the lands and farms around. The Hero of Strength is among them and they will arrive back in Oakfield in a few days._

"So just keep myself busy? Shouldn't be too hard."

Sparrow headed back to the inn where Elena was already sitting outside eating her breakfast and talking to some man. Sparrow recognized him. "Barnum!" She said in disbelief. The man looked up and a wide and excited smile crossed his face.

"Well wrap me in pigskin and call me a sausage! Look who it is!" Barnum took her hand in his and shook it wildly.

Elena looked in between the two- "You know each other?"

"Yes," Sparrow said, "He was in Bowerstone and he had a light box invention he wanted to try out. Me and," she stuttered for a brief second, "my sister volunteered to help him."

"Yes! Not that it ever took off. Still gamplussled by that one." Elena looked like she had misheard him but Sparrow waved her off. "Not that it was your fault. Anyway, that was a long time ago. Lots of exciting ventures since then. Look at you now, all grown up. And a proper adventurer too! I bet that sister of yours is very proud!"

There it was again. Sparrow swallowed- suddenly her throat was feeling pretty dry.

"This charming man and I were having a talk about entrepreneurship," Elena said.

"Yes! We were. I can see it in her eyes that she's got the soul of a businesswoman so I wanted to offer advice. Though I guess I'm not in a satirispaction to give her any."

"What's the matter, Barnum?"

"I'm in a bit of a custard right now. I made the deal of the century just the other day. This wonderfully strange fellow sold me the bridge in Rookridge!" He said. He sucked in a large breath and continued. "Cost me every last piece of gold I had, but a thing like that pays for itself, what with all the trade tolls and everything."

"Yes," Elena said, "but it seems that the bridge has mysteriously fallen into disrepair," she said with a wink. "And there's a couple of people that won't let anyone near it to repair it."

"Bandits, you see. Bunch of sprockless rotters. Probably saw them on your way here. Keep popping up all over the place, they do."

"So he wants to hire some Hero that could wipe them out. I told him I knew one. Looks like he knew one too."

Barnum wringed his hands and smiled sheepishly. "Would you?

* * *

The girls were back in Rookridge. They needn't have looked for the bandits- the red flag of a painted white skull with goggles over the Rookridge inn's door was enough of a hint. It was time to get these bastards back. Sparrow kicked in the door to the tavern and Elena jumped in front, guarding them both from the rain of crossbow bolts. Sparrow knelt beside her, shelling a few bastards with her pistol. Brave Knight scurried up the stairs and launched himself at the throat of one of the bandits. He quickly fell and Sparrow was quickly upon his partner, slashing open his belly with her new cleaver. Downstairs, Elena had tackled one of the last marauders and slit his throat. A bolt buried itself into her shoulder and she looked up to see an archer loading another to finish her off- he was never able to fire off the next one as a bolt of lightning shot through him.

Nearly as soon as it had started, the fighting had finished. Elena pulled the bolt loose and examined the damage. It was deep but it wasn't urgent enough for a health potion. She would, however, have to remember to clean it later. She joined Sparrow upstairs and the two went out onto the balcony. Across the way, on an old mine cart bridge, a man with familiar goggles stood, staring back at them.

"You think you're gonna catch me?" The man's voice was grating, almost like someone had strangled him. "Why'd you think they call me Dash, stupid? I could outrun the guards before I was out of nappies. What chance have you got?"

Sparrow said nothing.

"Last idiot who tried to chase me went blue in the face and keeled over. And I was already miles away!"

"Are you done with your monologue yet?" Elena asked.

"I can shoot your smug mug all day," he said with a throat-drying cackle. "Sorry, scum, gotta dash!" And with that, the bandit king was off. He ran incredibly fast across the bridge, a Sparrow would give him that, but she had something faster.

"Sic boy."

Brave Knight took off like a bolt of lightning. Sparrow followed after him but Elena stayed behind. Her friend have a curious look behind her but she waved her off. "I'll keep anyone from following behind you. You're faster anyway. Go." Sparrow nodded and continued running. Elena went back inside the ramshackle inn and pulled up a stool. From the second floor, she had a sniping nest to pick off any bandits that might've wandered in. She didn't need to wait long before some men entered the room. One bolt, two bolts, three- each delivered to some part of the skull. Elena had to admit, the crunchy sounds of the bolts entering the head really turned her off but she kept firing... Until she was out. Damn, she thought. The rest of the men were going to have to be taken out with her sword. In a rush of adrenaline, Elena grabbed the stool she was sitting on and threw it down on to a bandit. Well, she thought, not all of them. They started to climb the stairs, maces, cleavers and knives drawn. Right. She could handle this.

First was the guy with the knives. The knife was small so you push your shield on to it. A blade dances across his throat.

Next, cleavers. Tend to be swung together. If bandit were to swing in an 'x' she could jump back and lunge forward with her sword before he recovered.

Mace. Easy. He swung at her and she knocked his arm away with a strong blow from her shield. The mace flew and she kicked him down the stairs, putting her weapons away when she heard his neck snap.

Elena wiped her brow and went downstairs. She was definitely no Hero. She didn't have Sparrow's energy, that was for sure. She didn't think she could take much more fighting so she got the shards of the stool that she had thrown earlier and used them to bar the door handles shut. That would keep them out for a bit.

She crossed the bridge and followed the trail of lacerated bodies Sparrow had left for her. They were strewn about the dirt road. A stomach slit open, a jaw missing; all signs that Sparrow had wasted no time in chasing after Dash. She passed by a dying man who was feebly trying to stuff his innards back into his stomach. The stench was awful so she hurried past the gore and over the next bridge. She heard the sound of a gun firing and Brave Knight's barking. She hurried up the hill and saw a clearing with toppled slabs of rock and stone hedges. She saw the bandit king on one of the standing stones. His crossbow was drawn and he aimed at her. Elena ducked behind a fallen stone and was surprised to find Sparrow there as well. "Hello there," her friend said, pushing more iron balls into her gun. "The tavern clean?" Elena nodded. "Good. He's the only one left." She sat up and shot at Dash but she missed and quickly ducked back down. A bolt ripped through the space her head just was and buried itself into the dirt.

"Get lost you damn dog!" Dash screamed.

"He reloads as fast as he runs," she said bitterly. A bolt broke against the rock they were hiding behind. She shot a few more bullets his way. "Haven't been able to knick him yet."

"I could shoot your mug all day!" The bandit jeered.

"He's annoying too."

"Any ideas?"

"Other than what I'm doing now?" Sparrow asked, "No."

"What if we both jump out of cover and one of us gets him?" Elena suggested. It was better than listening to Dash go on and on about how he's going to piss on their corpses when he's done with them. Sparrow nodded and they both got ready to spring from their hiding spots. Sparrow would flank, Elena would run across the front. "One," she started. "Two..."

"Three!"

The girls leaped from behind cover and Elena ran across the clearing with her shield up. "Sodding dammit!" She heard the bandit yell. She felt a hard shove to her shield. Of course he would be shooting at her. Another hard knock and she fell to the ground. She held her shield to cover most of her body and it worked to fend off the bolts... For a time. After an especially hard knock on her shield, she heard a crack. The next bolt had penetrate through the wood completely, as well has her hand. She screamed and tossed the broken wood aside and pried out the bits of metal from her hand. She felt a sharp knock to the stomach and it left her dazed and winded. She had briefly wondered if Dash had jumped from the stone hedge and attacking her but that thought was quickly dismissed when she saw a pool of scarlet liquid below her. Where is that coming from, she wondered. She followed the red river to her lower stomach where a piece of metal stuck out from her abdomen.

"Elena!" She heard. It was Sparrow screaming but it sounded like it was muffled under water. The world began to twist and morph around her and she felt sick to her stomach. She looked up just in time to see Sparrow with her arm outstretched. A ripple in space, like heat emanating off of metal on a hot day flew directly at Dash. The man grunted like he had been knocked over by a cart. He flew off of the stone hedge and landed, head first on the ground. His neck bent in an unsightly angle and he was dead. That was one of the last things she saw before the world went black before her.

* * *

Sparrow was back in Oakfield. When she and Elena were in Rookridge, chasing after the second bandit king. Elena had been shot with poison bolts and she quickly fell asleep. Sparrow had nearly drowned her friend in potions before Theresa had told her to stop. She had lugged the blonde back to the inn and laid her into the bed. She had already cleaned and bandaged the wounds but the poison was still in her system. She didn't know if the potion would purge it or not but Theresa had assured her that she was going to be fine... multiple times. Sparrow sat on the edge of the bed, fiddling with the late bandit king's goggles. They were rubbery and a golden grate-like covered the eyes. They made the wearer look like he had bug eyes. She spared another glance at Elena and must've looked pitiful for Theresa's voice once again echoed inside her head.

_She will be fine._

Sparrow didn't respond. She just nodded and stood. Barnum was still waiting for news so she decided to go find him. Luckily he was in the bar drinking Oakfield's strawberry wine. He saw her coming and he nearly choked on his drink. He stood and shook her hand excitedly. "The Hero returns! A stupendous success! Jolly well done!"

"Yes," Sparrow said sitting next to him. "The Rookridge bandits are dead and you're free to repair the bridge now."

The older man chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "Yes, well, it turns out those deeds weren't entirely genuine, so the toll thing isn't going to work out quite as plannified."

"I'm very sorry, Barnum."

"Well at least it isn't on me to rebuild the bridge now."

"Okay so I might be broke, but I'll bounce back. Always do!"

"I would go into renting out houses," Sparrow said, "real estate is always in demand."

"I might do that, my old friend," he said. He got up and finished his drink. "Well it's bedtime for me. Tomorrow I'll be getting up early to set sail for new ventures."

"Where are you going?" Sparrow asked.

"Haven't the slightest clue, dear. I'll let destiny decide and I'll be bamtwazzled with wherever I land." He started to walk away but caught himself. "Ah!" he said. "I nearly forgot." He handed her a piece of paper. "As a part of the deal for those fake bridge deeds, I also was given a canoe. This paper will let you take it from the docks. You might not need it but I don't want to emptyhandify you after you've helped me."

And with that, he was off to bed. Sparrow figured it was time for her to go to bed as well. She went back to the room and set the deed down on the nightstand. Just as she turned away towards the bed, she heard the night breeze blowing in from the window and scattering her cards. She turned and saw all the cards laying face down except one. She picked it up and put it under the dim candlelight. It was Bowerstone. She was wondering if the cards were telling her to head to Bowerstone but she mentally kicked herself. Of course they were. Tonight was going to be a long night. She grabbed a warm cloak and wrapped herself in it. She told Brave Knight to stay by Elena's side and to bring her food and water and he nodded.

She left Oakfield that night. She had considered using the new canoe Barnum had given her but at night; she was surely to become lost in the black water. She would be heading through Dash's old camp. When she chased him, she had seen a wooden gate that would take her to the Bower side of Rookridge.

The walk through Rookridge was quiet. She had not run into any Bandits or Hobbes. Strangely only stray cats that had been peering at her from the bushes and rarely brushing against her leg before retreating back to their homes. Why cats wanted to live here, she would never know- not that she cared to, honestly. She had already crossed the bridges behind the old tavern and was shortly coming up on the door she saw earlier. She was making good time and was likely to arrive back in Bowerstone a few hours before the sun rose.

The door was locked. She honestly wasn't surprised; annoyed, but not surprised. There was a small keyhole and she dreaded the idea of heading back to search the bodies if the bandits to find it but she found herself thinking of another solution. Earlier when Elena was shot by Dash, she had cast a spell she had never knew she had in her. There was so much adrenaline rushing through her at the time, it was hard to pinpoint what exactly caused the kinetic push. She looked at her hand and summoned Will through her veins. The familiar coolness rushed through her arm and it started to glow. She dug her fingers into her palms and dragged out tendrils of electricity between them. That wasn't the spell. She released the electricity and tried again. This time she played around with her fingering until she made them into a something reminiscent of a claw. Her hand started to steam and she waved it at the door. The steam, lightly tinted with a green smoke shot towards the gate. It gave a minimal buckle. She huffed and tried again. This time she slightly lifted her palm up and once again the warped field soared from her hand. This time, the gate flew off its hinges and into the valley below. She looked at her arm and smiled. She would remember this spell.

* * *

Sparrow had just arrived in the marketplace when the sun started to rise. It was still too early for people to be leaving their house; they were likely just starting to wake up so the streets were barren and empty. She didn't miss the crowds though; she was perfectly content with the town's emptiness now. She looked around and saw that the roofs had been repaired since the pseudo-hurricane that had swept through the day before. The damage was minimal so it was to no surprise that it'd be taken care of already. But Sparrow wasn't here to assess the buildings. Truth be told, she still hadn't the faintest idea why the cards told her to come here. She mentally kicked herself for forgetting to bring the cards.

She froze. She heard something. It was faint but there was a small chiming of music playing. The sound was familiar and she recognized it immediately. She turned and saw coloured smoke coming from the docks under the bridge. There was no denying it now. She stepped down the stairs and she saw a very familiar caravan with the words 'Mystical Murgo' painted on the sign. Inside was that very same man from all those years ago. He turned and saw her.

The man gave a radiant smile, ten more years kissing customer arse to add under his belt. "Well. I do believe I see a Hero before me." He must've seen Sparrow's reaction because he quickly followed it up, "Don't be surprised... Sparrow, is it? Who else could have recognized such a genuine magical music box after all? You remember me, don't you?" Sparrow nodded. "Good. I'm here for you actually. There's something I need to explain to you if you've got the time and ear to spare."

"I do."

The merchant explained that he had been given the music box by an anonymous supplier all those years ago. The source claimed that he would find two girls who would ask for the item and that he was to sell it to no other customer. Now, that same supplier had told him to set up his caravan on the docks of Bowerstone Market. There he would see tremendous success, but in return for that information, Murgo was to take a cold snow globe with him and once again, he would only sell it to Sparrow and to no other. After Murgo's story- which the thought of an anonymous person taking such an interest in her made her hair stand on end- he offered said snow globe for the familiar price of five gold pieces. Sparrow bought it and left the man alone with his increasing crowd of sleepy townsfolk.

She walked the docks for a short while, turning the globe around in her hand. It was cold to the touch and there was a feeling of nostalgia in. It was empty, but it felt heavier than it should have been. She shook the globe and watched as the snowflakes danced across the glass. She wondered why this anonymous supplier wanted her to have this, or why he was even interested in her in the first place. Was it Lucien? He already knew the music box was being sold in town but... No. He wanted it. What was the point of selling it to two little girls when he could've just taken it? A bandit king? No, bandits wouldn't have any interest in her at that age. Could it have been Theresa? She definitely knew more than she let on but hadn't she done enough? Would she really need to deceive Sparrow at this point? She hoped not.

She sat at the end of the docks and shook the snow globe again. She was frustrated that nothing was ever simple with her- nothing! She was so distracted with her new snow globe that she didn't hear the water next to the dock starting to shift and splash. She passed it off as a fish jumping out of water or maybe a seal coming to bark at her. She nearly pissed herself when a large construct of wood and brass emerged from the water in front of her. It looked like some type of deep-sea creature with lights. A hatch on the dorsal opened and a man with large goggles peered out. He gave a sheepish smile and apologized for startling her. He then asked if she knew any Heroes and he nearly squealed in excitement when she said she was one. He asked her to sit there as he would be reciting a speech his 'Chieftain' made him memorize.

"'My name is Gordon'," he said near lifelessly as he tried to remember the words, "'I come from Knothole Island, which is in dire need of your help. Winter has gripped our land, and only someone valiant enough to recover the mystical Summer Stone can save us. I impassionately plead that you aid us in our time of need.'"

"So will you come?"

Sparrow yawned and nodded. The cards led her here, who was she to ignore them.

The man bobbed up and down excitedly. "Excellent! Let's go!" He stopped. "Hmm... I hope my submarine can hold two people." He extended his hand to her and she took it. He helped her on to the craft and they both went down the hatch. Sparrow would have wanted to stay awake to see the underwater world but sleep pulled her into the darkness mere seconds after she sat. She was too tired to care about whether or not she was snoring in his ear.


	6. Knothole Island's Big Freeze

**Pre-notes: Welcome Mozzie94, Fang Truckey, sharxboy, and HayabusaDragonForce, agarc829.**

**I live in NorCal and we've had two consecutive years of droughts. Right now it is 108*F outside. What I wouldn't give for a Storm Totem right now.**

**I've also made a Wattpad account. Same story goes there. No priorities for either, just wanted to let you know if you're more comfortable there.**

**Just have to look up CelestialLight1117 under 'people'**

* * *

_The Tribe's elation at finally finding the island was short-lived. Instead of the balmy, flora-covered paradise they had expected, they found a frozen tundra. The ancient, magical civilization who had created the Weather Totems thousands of years ago did not intend this boon to come without a price, for they feared it would make their lives too easy. To provide a challenge, they set the Totems in three shrines, full of dangers to those seeking to use them. The journey to the island was just the beginning of the tribe's trials. Now their strongest warriors would have to face the shrines._

* * *

Elena woke to rancid breath and a wet tongue on her face. She shoved Knight off of her and sat up, gagging as knot twinged in her lower stomach. She pulled the bandages from herself and saw a purple circle drawn in her skin with little blackened veins running from it like spider legs. She gingerly poked it and immediately regretted it. A white hot pain shot through her stomach and she winced as her spine and her nether regions ached. She laid back and let out a sigh. She was sweating already. She whimpered to herself and wrapped the bandages around her again. Dash's bolt was thick and clearly poisoned. She would have a scar but from what she had seen, she would be fine. She heard the skittering of Brave Knight and sat up to see that he had gone to the kitchen and brought her a plate of lemon bread glazed with a golden honey. She took the plate from him and thanked him. The food was warm and fresh so either the dog had stolen a plate, or Sparrow had requested food be made for her. She wondered where her friend had gone to. She set the food aside and leaned over the nightstand to find the tarot cards messily strewn across the desk as well as a yellowed piece of paper. She grabbed it, minding the pain of stretching her abdomen and unfolded it. It was a deed to a... Canoe? In Sparrow's name? That's a little strange, Elena thought. She placed the paper back on the desk and finished her food. It was a delectable meal with strawberries and salted grains to complement the lemon sweet bread.

After she had felt satisfied, she opened the window over the bed and laid back down. The breeze was cool and clear and strangely sweet. She has just began to close her eyes when she heard the tittering of a paper behind her. She turned and saw a lone card dance in the breeze before being swept out the window. She cursed herself and closed the window; after which, she got to her feet and limped outside to see where it had gone off too. She wanted nothing more than to lounge and sleep for the next couple of days but she needed to get that card- she couldn't imagine what would happen if she had lost a vital card for her friend. She went to the back of the inn where it had flown off to and found it dancing almost mockingly in the dirt. She leaned down to grab it but it flittered off again. She hissed in annoyance and followed. The card led her on what must have been a humorous chase- what with a limping woman chasing after a piece of paper. She must've looked like a drunken fool. She chased that scrap of paper over the bridge, clenching her stomach as she tried to regain breath. "Could you not!" She cried at the paper. She saw some heads turn in the market place and she briefly debated just giving up but a stubborn feeling was welling up in her stomach. She could not lose that card.

Eventually it led her to the docks where it landed neatly on one of the canoes. She stepped on to the canoe to grab it but the ropes came undone and soon she was out in the water without a paddle. "Bloody hell," she said trying to paddle with her hands but to no avail. She cried for help but the townsfolk were nowhere near the docks and she didn't have the energy to scream louder. She felt a tickling in her hand so she looked down and saw the tarot card in between her fingers. She flipped it and saw a young woman crying. She had clenched her blonde hair and seemed to be screaming- almost like a mother who had lost a child. From her eyes, tears fell and crystallized on her cheeks. As those gemstone tears fell from her cheeks, the solidified into pieces of gold on which the mourner sat. It was then that Elena looked up and saw that the canoe was decidedly steering itself to drift parallel to Oakfield. She also noted that this canoe was the only one at the dock. It was fortuitous or ironic. She couldn't decide. She imagined that she'd soon find out if the cards had worked for her as well... Or if she was an idiot who was about to be lost at sea. Either way, she leaned back and waited to see where destiny would take her.

* * *

Sparrow wasn't entirely sure where she was. She had followed that strangely dressed man into his water craft and then she fell asleep. Except now she was on a beach. The sands were warm and she was miles away from civilization... or so it seemed. Ocean and sand as far as the eye could see. Did that man maroon her? She couldn't think, there was a thumping in her head that only intensified as time went on. It felt like a rock was buried behind her eyes and was continually growing.

She wandered that beach in the hopes of finding anyone or anything that could explain why she was there to begin with. The thumping in her head seemed to travel down her head, neck and her legs until the ground itself seemed to quake. It grew until she was no longer able to stand and she fell into the waters of the ocean. They were chilled and putrid-smelling. She jammed her eyes shut and clenched her hair. She cried out in pain but her words were choked by the water. She couldn't handle this anymore. She needed it to end.

Just when she thought she might die from the pain, it began to fade away. It was when the throbbing was completely gone that she opened her eyes. The scenery had changed drastically since the pulses started. She was still on the beach but the ocean had been turned red with creamy blood. She screamed and pulled herself from the crimson waters and tried to dry off in the sands. The blood-stains wouldn't come out of her clothes, hair or skin. She stopped scrubbing herself when a jet-black rock, miles away from the shore began rising from the waters. It was tall and sticky like a black webbed rock. The Spire, she thought. The Spire continued to grow out of the water until it completely blocked out the sun. Only then was she was freed from her dream.

Sparrow awoke to the gentle rocking of the ocean and a bitter cold biting her skin. Immediately she began to shiver and she wondered if she was still in Old Town. She opened her eyes and saw that Gordon man climbing out of the submarine. He turned around and reached in and grabbed her hand. He pulled her up and suddenly she was in ghostly white snow. Gordon led her across the frozen docks and into the basin-like island. There Sparrow saw the heart of the Knothole Island. Few tattered and shambled houses built over a frozen lake. The doors were closed and the inhabitants would not be coming out any time soon. "I had once read a book about Knothole. I read that it was a humid rainforest- not a frozen wasteland," Sparrow said.

"You were reading about the Glade then. This is Knothole Island. Our ancestors were done with the hostile conditions so they searched for a place where they could relocate to. They found this island off the coast where tales spoke of leaders changing the weather for their people."

"And why did you choose to keep an icy tundra?"

"The chieftain can explain it," Gordon said with an angry look on his face. He pointed her to the chieftain's office and left. As she drew closer to the building, she could hear the voices of two very angry people fighting to be louder than the other. She peeked in the house to see a fat man with a silly hat and ill-fitting clothes screaming until the veins on his head bulged at a woman. The woman had stringy black hair that was pulled up into a strange braid. Her face was caked with blotchy white makeup that made her look undead. Beside the woman was a boy; he looked to be ten but he was already covered in scars and scrapes. He was quietly observing the conversation but he looked like he might've been about to jump the fat man and tear him apart.

"And what are we waiting for then?" The woman said. "A Hero to come from the mainland and fix your mistake?"

"My only mistake was to let your petty riot last as long as it did."

"You tried to tax us for the rain you directly caused!"

"As is my right as the Chieftain of the Island. I swear to you, Jessica, I've learned from my mistakes; the next time you act up, I'm having the guards put you down!"

"You're trying to have us killed because we won't let you take our money!"

"Enough!" The fat man screamed. Sparrow must have made a noise for the boy turned his head directly at her and pointed. The two others turned and looked as well. "Who are you?! Come in here this moment!" Sparrow came in from the cold and wiped off the snow from her clothes. "Who are you?" He asked again.

"My name is Sparrow. I'm a Hero from Bowerstone and I was brought here to end your winter."

The two looked shock and the boy looked on at her in an almost eerie interest. The woman who had previously been so angry that her face must've turned red under that makeup had a complete change of moods as she came up to the Hero and examined her. The woman walked around Sparrow, grabbing at her arms to see if they were strong and looking into her eyes to see if she spot the fierceness of a warrior's soul. Or at least that's what Sparrow wanted to think- this woman might have just been strange. It wouldn't be entirely out of the question. It seemed like she had been in a whole new world from the moment that submarine emerged at the docks. What an incredibly queer culture, she thought. The woman had such a stony gaze that if she didn't look like a mess, Sparrow might have actually found her to be quite intimidating. However, when Sparrow had passed the woman's test, the gaze turned into a cheery smile. "Gordon actually did it!" She said, "He brought a Hero to the island!"

"_I_ brought her, you mean," the fat man said, "I promised my people I would deliver a Hero to rescue us from this terrible plight. See how I fulfill my promises." It had been less than a minute and she already was feeling the need to knock this arse out. Surely it was a new record. Still, she let her annoyance as he took her hand into his own cold one for a handshake. "Allow me to offer you a cordial and official welcome to Knothole Island."

* * *

Elena was regretting following that card. Theresa could have just given Sparrow another or something, right? She wondered what had gone through her mind when she got out of the bed and chased after a wrinkled piece of paper. Having nothing to do, she had spent the best of the last hour playing with the card. Still the same image of that crying lady. She was half-tempted to use the card as a tiny paddle but she decided that doing so would've made this entire ordeal pointless.

She was no longer afraid, however, of being lost at sea in her tiny little canoe. The wooden craft had been leading her down the coast of Rookridge by magic. Of course by magic, she thought. She didn't need incredible skills of perception to know where it was taking her. The tip of the canoe scraped against the sand of the shore and settled into it. She got out of the canoe and headed directly for the cave they had found shelter in just two days prior; the cave where Elena had found those crystals. Crystals that bore a striking similarity to the ones on the tarot card. Inside she found a carving knife on the ground- of course, she would need one after all. She was beyond believing that this was coincidence. She didn't believe in destiny, instead she believed that someone was behind this... And more. The recent events had her questioning every little detail. The hurricane, the crystal cave, the tarot card, the canoe and now the cave again with a carving knife to boot.

Theresa, she thought. That woman had "eyes" that saw into the future and she was manipulative, but to summon and dispel a hurricane on a whim? That couldn't have been possible. Even for Theresa. She was just a fortune teller, right? What about Lucien? She didn't know much about him, other than what Sparrow told her, and even that was on rare occasions accompanied by a few bottles of alcohol. He was a man who was familiar with Old Kingdom technology but could he have found a way to create a hurricane with that? No, their time always seemed so lucky. Last she heard, Lucien tried to kill Sparrow- wouldn't make sense for him to help them.

Bitterly she gave up her guessing game and picked the carving knife from the ground and headed to the back of the cave where she had seen larger crystals. She began to saw the surprisingly weak crystals off of the walls with her knife. She wondered where Sparrow had wondered off to. Surely she couldn't have gone _too_ far.

* * *

The winds of Knothole Island were cold indeed. Jessica had brought Sparrow back to her shanty house above the frozen lake for a warrior's feast. It served both as a breakfast and dinner for Sparrow and she was all too happy to take Jessica's garlic buttered, baked crab legs with seaweed wrapped octopus meat- all washed down with a sweet yellow fairy liquor. During the time, the woman told her about the island's history. It was once the capital of kingdom of Knothole in its entirety before it counted itself as a colony of Albion and before a mass of land between the island and glade and sunk into the ocean. The island once held three marvelous structures that served personal use to the old Chief King Duncan. A Guild of Heroes that predated Albion's. The Heroes of Knothole served as the king's personal army; feared and worshipped they were, better trained and disciplined than Albion's own. It was a wonder that they fell just as surely as the mainland's.

The second structure served as the armory to that Hero army. It was said that a metal harvested in the darkest depths of Knothole was crafted into weapons and armor unmatched by any iron or steel known to men.

Thirdly, the last structure was the royal palace of the old chief king. The palace was an ancient stony palace that sat upon the hill that overlooked the entire island- the very hill Sparrow was climbing. The winds blew through her cloak and she shivered in her light protection. Old Town was never like this, never a blizzard that threatened to freeze your skin right off.

Sparrow couldn't say how long she had been walking in the blizzard. Her legs were sore and felt heavy like stone as she climbed the hill. It could not have been a long time, she thought. The island was small but it seemed that the blizzard slowed the passing of time... Or her. When she was near the top, she felt a nauseating knot curling in her stomach. She felt an overwhelming sense of dread and sadness but she couldn't understand what had caused it.

_You still hear Rose's death cry when you try to sleep at night, don't you?_

The voice spoke above the howls of the wind and yet it was clear as if it was coming from her mind when her blind guide spoke to her. This was not Theresa's voice. "Who's there?" Sparrow called, voice nearly snuffed out by the screams of the blizzard. Through the blanket of white of the air, Sparrow saw a glimpse of a white dress but just as soon as she had seen it, it disappeared back into the storm alongside the sudden dread with it.

_Parasite. Failure. Powerless._

And that was the last thing the voice said. Sparrow hurried up the frozen bridges to the old palace and stopped at the door. She pulled out an artifact similar to the Guild Seal. There was a metal rune of a man being strangled by a crown set into the black stone. She set the keystone into the door, and with a hiss, it slid open. A breeze somehow colder than the blizzard seeped out.

She stepped in and the door slammed behind her. She debated on standing still until her eyes adjusted to the darkness but she had a better way. A tickle of cold coursed through her veins and she brought forth webs of eerie blue electricity between her fingers. It reflected off the marble floor and served to lighten the room; in it, she saw what the old chieftain might have used as trophies. Taxidermic creatures stood in the center of the room and head mounts of vicious-looking animals were hung on the wall among chalk drawings of men toppling fantastical creatures like trolls, screamers and krakens. She approached one that looked like a large cat with massive fangs and was surprised at how well it had been preserved- it must have been the cold, she thought, absentmindedly flicking the fang and causing it to fall to the floor and break like an icicle. She quickly collected herself and inspected the other specimens. A white horse with a horn, a lizard-man hybrid and what seemed to be a glowing, pink ball of light with delicate wings- it was kept in a glass bottle with a cork plug. Normally, Sparrow would quickly dismiss the thought of such creatures and pass them off as a ragtag construct of sewn together animal parts but recent events had made her more open-minded. Not in the good way, she noted.

With her little tour of the trophy room at an end, she followed the main hall to what she could only imagine to be the throne room. She was right of course, but what caught her off guard was the dim glow of a fire and three men around it. One man was unconscious, the other was rubbing him in what could have been an attempt at reviving his dying friend and the last man was sat on the throne and reading a book and fiddling with a golden statuette. She released the will in her hand. The Lightning sputtered and died and she was cloaked in the shadow of the palace. She figured the three men were the thieves that had stolen the sun totem from the chieftain. They were speaking but she couldn't quite make out the words.

"..Jeb.. Others to their shrine..."

She moved closer, careful not to make any more noise than them. Up closer, she was able to make out the two thrones intricate detailing- or at least one of them. The other throne was dilapidated and in pieces. Above the thrones was hung a large portrait of a wedding between a burly man adorned in scars and tattoos and a beautiful maiden dressed in pearly silk with long blonde hair braided with ruby pins. Beneath the portrayal, 'Chieftan Duncan and Lady Sable' was etched into stone.

"'elp me wake 'im up Lawrence!"

The bandit shook Sparrow's attention and brought it back to them. The man who was trying to massage the life back into his friend was yelling now. "Lawrence! Git off yer arse!" The other man just shrugged and continued to read.

"He's not going to wake up, Nack."

There was a moment of silence before the apparent 'Nack' laughed in mockery of his friend. "Shows what ye know ye twat. Jebby-boy's comin' 'round!" There's was a sickly groan from Jeb as he was sat up. His eyes were unmoving like a corpse's and yet he was very much alive... It seemed. Jeb let out another groan and shot back to the floor. Lawrence had dropped his statuette and book and was helping Nack restrain him. "Yer alright, mate. Take 'er easy 'n yer fine boy-o." Jeb was not fine by any standard of Sparrow's. He started screaming and convulsing in the hands of his friends. He lunged up and down like it seemed something was trapped inside of him and was trying to escape. Sparrow was going to go deaf if this continued. Jeb's manic scream couldn't cover up the sound of fabric tearing or the sound of skin tearing. Sparrow watched in horror as his face split open like torn paper and revealed a black skull. Nack puked as he saw his friend tear open as the black skeleton worked its way out of his body. The black skeleton stood from its fleshy cocoon and looked down at its host's old friends. It raised one claw high and the fire glistened on the ebony bone before it came down and decapitated them both in one sweep. Blood sprayed from their new stumps and Lawrence's head rolled next to Sparrow's foot. His jaw was still flexing and his eyes were blinking up at her. She dared to look back up at the creature and saw his head turned to look directly at her. She saw that it still had its host's eyes and the blood from his friends was sliding off of it like water on glass. There was a brief moment of silence as they sized each other up before the skeleton apparently saw her as its prey. It gave out a screech like a lunatic in an asylum and charged at her, bones flailing madly as he went. She jumped back just in time to miss the fatal decapitation swing it had used on the the other men. It was already on her again, charging straight forward with its upper body bent backwards like the spine was too weak to support the torso. It lunged forward bringing its claws down on her in an attempt to slice her right down the middle. If he had not brought up the cleavers in time, she'd be in pieces. The two struggled to gain the upper hand in their grinding of metal and stony bone. No matter how much Sparrow pushed, the skeleton seemed to counter her with its own strength; luckily, she was able to keep it from gaining the upper had as well. The boneman ducked its head under their arms and got in Sparrow's face. It locked eyes with her and screamed in what could have been frustration. It then began taking bites at her neck and might have ripped her artery if she didn't lean back in time. The dodge gave a brief second of weakness in the struggle and the creature was able to push her cleavers back an inch. It was then that she felt her fingers dig into her palm in her mantle. Her cleavers were metal. She had an idea and it may very well have been the only means of defeating the monster. She closed her eyes and imagined that cold feeling sprouting from the back of her neck and traveling down through her breasts and into her arms. The will lines shined brightly before sparks of electricity surged from her hands, through the cleavers and into the skeleton.

The reaction was instant. The boneman shook and screeched and its host's eyes exploded from the lightning. The instant the eyes were gone, the ebony stone-like skeleton turned to ash on the floor. Sparrow let out a breath she had been holding and wiped sweat from her brow. She placed her cleavers back in their slots and walked to where the statuette was. She picked it up and turned it over. It was of a well-fed woman holding a bale of wheat. On the back of her was a metal cut-out of the sun. There was no mistaking it. She also picked up the book for later when she wanted to take her mind off of what happened here. She double-checked to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything and headed out. She hoped to never see something like that again.

Back outside, she raised the totem like she was instructed to and a beam of red light shot from it and into the sky. The light hit the clouds and began to spread out like a spider's web. Immediately the clouds fled like mice and the sun shines down on the island in a blisteringly hot radiance. She took of the cloak and began her trip back down to the loathsome chieftain. She brought out the book and started reading as she walked. It was a small book about Chief Duncan and Lady Sable. She promised herself to glance up periodically to keep her from falling off a cliff or something just as dramatic.

_In the times of Knothole's glorious reign of power and passion, the great Chieftain took a bride from Albion named Sable. Sable was the most beautiful woman to ever touch Knothole's soil. She was quickly wedded and bred by the king. So strong was her love and respect for him that she dismissed the palace staff for she didn't want anyone else near her prize. Throne by throne they sat as court for the peasant-folk for their petitions and judges for their crimes._

_One day, and to Duncan's disgust, Lady Sable gave birth to a daughter whose hair shone like gold. She was strong and was magical but still, the king rejected her and cast out the mother and child for such an insult. _

_The townsfolk, so eager to gain Duncan's respect, threw the babe into the ocean and hung the Lady. A year to the day after the murder of Sable, a wraith wrapped in Sable's wedding dress came back to haunt them. She was beautiful no longer. Her golden hair had turned grey and the dress was faded and black. _

_The Black Lady, as she was called, then sunk the land bridge between the capital and the mainland of Knothole and trapped the townspeople in like animals. She then cursed the land to resurrect the skeletons from the dead. They were as black as night and served her without question or hesitance. She grew fond of them and called them her Suitors. _

_The Black Lady then commanded the Suitors to snuff out every life from the island. A great war waged on the small island between the Lady's Suitors and the Chief's private army of Heroes. In the end, the Suitors were eliminated from the island but left the Guild in shambles. Having to turn on themselves when a Hero fell in battle, their numbers dwindled and eventually disappeared. _

_Some people say that the Black Lady still roams Knothole Island at night, haunting the dreams of the King's descendants. Others say she was finally put to rest after Duncan's death. The land is still cursed however. Residents who pass away must be thrown into the sea like the babe to keep them from coming back. Many people trained in the ways of the will have tried to reverse her hex but none have been successful. It is thought that one day, if a woman who rivals Sable in her beauty and pureness of heart marries the Chieftain's descendants, the curse will be lifted and Knothole will reclaim its glory._

Sparrow found herself in the Chieftain's office and put the book away. She walked up to his desk and placed the statuette in front of him. He didn't even spare her a look. "I did it!" He cheered. "I had full confidence I'd chosen an adequate champion for this historic event." He leaned back in his chair and raised the sun totem and kissed it. "I have brought sunshine back to my people." He gave a short gaze to the Hero standing in front of him. "And you played your part too of course." Sparrow said nothing and started to hand him the Ice key but he waved her off and went back to looking at the totem. "Keep it. We haven't use for it and I heard your kind likes to horde baubles for significance or something as equally pompous."

"Where is Jessica?" She asked, ignoring what he said.

"She and her tyke are collecting seeds from our stock so we can finally grow our crops again. I suggest you leave immediately, however, the townsfolk will be busy fetching harvesting equipment, farming and rationing out our water."

"And you?"

"I'll be calculating the taxes for our coming crops of course," he said with a malicious smile.

Sparrow shook her head in disgust and left, taking off her cloak as the sun was starting to make her hot.

She found her way back to Gordon's submarine and asked him to take her back to Oakfield. He helped her on and closed the latch.

Sparrow decided that she didn't like Knothole Island.


	7. The Snowglobe

**Pre-Notes: I scrapped this chapter so many times. I just could not figure it out.**

**Guardian of Light Lightus, Knead-Boric**

* * *

_"This small snowglobe contains a very realistic model of a village. If you hold it to your ear, you can just make out the distant sounds of people screaming." -Murgo_

* * *

Elena winced as she sat down. She had finally made it back to Oakfield with a canoe filled to the brim with those crystals. It had taken her a while to drag them back to her room at the inn. Luckily it was night when she arrived and everybody had seemingly gone to bed; she realized that the residents of Oakfield were far kinder than Bowerstone's but the sight of an injured woman carrying large and likely expensive crystals was likely enough to turn the head monk at the Temple of Light into a mugger. Perhaps she was just jaded from growing up with gypsies. She wondered how Sparrow got by without growing a distrust of others. It might've been confidence that all Heros carried. Elena found herself a little bit jealous. She unloaded the large sack of crystals on to the bed. She had hoped these would fetch a high price in Bowerstone. She was not happy as a Beetle wing seller, and perhaps she would make enough money to become a landlady. Her stomach rumbled and she set those dreams aside for the moment. She bagged the gems and hid them under the bed. She also told the sleeping dog to keep it safe as she locked the window. The dog huffed and she assumed that maybe that was enough; she locked the door, regardless.

At the bar, she ordered more pieces of lemon bread and cinnamon-spiced apple slices. She also ordered a large pouch of water. Elena took her dinner and left the inn. She walked to the small bridge that overlooked the bay and sat on the railing. The moon was full and low in the sky. The ocean glowed in a ghostly white. Elena felt breathless looking at it. Every now she would see a fish spouting from the water to catch an insect, other than that, the water was still and looked like miles of black glass. It was so peaceful, she was expecting a kraken to surface and attack Oakfield just to ruin the tranquility. This town was truly a marvel in its own simple way. A breeze from the ocean began to pick up and she undid her favorite ribbon and let her long blonde hair down. Oakfield was lovely.

Elena's stomach very rudely reminded her that she had barely eaten that day. She picked up the soft cinnamon apple and ate it. It was still warm and very fluffy. The Apple was very sweet and left a cinnamon coating on her lips and tongue. She quickly licked her lips and took another one, ignoring how ravenously she could have seemed to anyone who was watching. She loves food, and who could blame her? She kicked her feet happily against the bridge and finished her dinner. She wondered if Oakfield would have fireflies in the Summer. She imagined how beautiful that could be. It was a shame Summer was ending already, though Summer definitely did not depart like anything less than a lion. Albion almost never had hurricanes. But she had thought of that too much today for her liking. It was easier to just pass it off as a strange, isolated occurrence.

She finished eating and was heading back to the inn when she heard a loud clang of a bell. It echoed through the forest town and clanged again. She saw the windows of houses lighting up as the residents woke up. She wondered if they were coming under attack but was dumbstruck when people came bolting out of their houses cheering and singing. Another strike of the bell and even the innkeeper came dancing out of the bar with a bottle in hand. He handed to her and said "Cheers! Celebrate, my fiend!" with a laugh and he was off to join the crowd of sleepy celebrators. Elena looked at the bottle.

It was a bottle of Twilight- special drink they served exclusively in Oakfield. She had wanted some earlier but the outstanding price turned her off. And the bartender just came dancing by her and gave her one for free? She popped the cork and took a swig. Elena could taste creamy chocolate and vanilla and the aftertaste of... rum? The cheering grew louder and the woman turned to see a parade of sorts. She saw a single horse-drawn caravan and it seemed to be where the residents were headed. The caravan was being driven down the path she was on. She stepped out of the way and let it pass. The caravan was made of a light elk and was covered with shined gold trimmings. The gold design that spread around the cart was very reminiscent of tree branches or roots. Many paper lanterns tied with coloured beads and gemstones hung from the roof of the caravan, sparing no one from seeing the intricate craftsmen ship. There sat two men in the driver's seat- one holding the reigns and one that held what appeared to be a very large golden acorn above his head. It seemed that the acorn was the centre of attention here. She looked to the crowd around her and saw people pointing and crying and singing. The caravan was passing her and so was the crowd. She thought the parade to be... cringe-worthy at worst and over-the-top and self-righteous at best, but still, she found herself curious as to what the Oakfielders would do with that glorified nut.

Elena had started hobbling alongside the crowd when she was bumped into by another person. 'Bumping', however, felt like an inadequate term. Elena felt that maybe she had completely missed seeing a second cart was being rear-ended by it. But carts do not grunt after hitting something like this one did. She turned and saw a large beast of a woman towering over her. She tried to hobble away but she was grabbed by large hands. She braced herself for a punch to the teeth but the hit never came. "Easy there. Are you alright?" a light voice came from the woman. "Been staring at those bloody lanterns for the best part of an hour and didn't see you." The juggernaut settled her and dusted Elena's shoulders off. "Very sorry about that."

"That's... Fine."

Elena was about to turn back and walk but the giant kept talking and Elena thought it might be best to not give her the cold shoulder, lest she tear the blonde in half.

"Good," the woman said with a smile. "My name is Hannah, I'm a sister at the Temple of Light."

"Hello Hannah." Elena was still a bit unnerved by the woman's size but this woman seemed nice enough.

"Who are you then?" Hannah asked. "I'm sure I haven't seen you around Oakfield."

"My name is Elena Dufford. I was born in Bowerstone and was raised by the lake."

The woman seemed very excited to meet someone from out of town. She waved for Elena to catch up with the parade but must have seen how the blonde limped because she immediately ducked under Elena's arm and used herself as a crutch. "Are you alright? I didn't hurt you did I?"

"Thank you, and no. I was shot by a crossbow."

The big woman let out a gasp of horror- something Elena chuckled at seeing. "A crossbow?" she asked excitedly. "What happened?"

"Me and my friend were after Dash and his gang. They blew up the bridge in Rookridge during the hurricane in an attempt to kill my friend and," Elena took in a breath, "then we met one her old friends who owned the bridge and wasn't able to fix it until they were gone and... Well that's about it actually. I got shot by a crossbow and it hurt and is still hurting."

The sister laughed, "That's incredible!"

"We-"

"Well not you being shot I mean- there's nothing incredible about that. But you must be an adventurer! Or mercenary! I bet you have some stories to tell!"

"I don't really. We left home maybe... four days ago." Wow. A lot has happened, Elena thought.

"Four days and you've already done more than me. That much is obvious. My life isn't so grand but I can recite all eighty of the canticles of light. Epic, right?"

Elena laughed and nodded. She liked this woman. The parade finally halted on a small hill overlooking the glass-like ocean with its lunar beauty. There was a large dead oak tree in the centre of the hill and when the caravan door opened everyone dropped down to the earth and bowed- all except for Hannah who gently guided Elena down. From the cart came an elder man dressed in grey robes. He walked to the front of the carriage and took the acorn and kissed it as well as the forehead of the man holding it. "That's my father," Hannah said. She smiled when Elena looked shocked at the size difference. "Adopted. He found me when I was a baby and raised me in the temple."

Elena was able to see Hannah better now that the caravan's lanterns weren't rocking back and forth. Hannah was a woman of no small stature but her dark blue eyes were soft and kind and she had blood-red dreads that hung around her shoulders.

"My children," the abbot said. "The Harvest is coming once more. Soon Oakfield will rain golden leaves and the Golden Oak shall shelter us from the rains and snows of winter and in spring, the light will be reborn and Oakfield shall thrive again."

"Blessed be," the crowd said as he lowered the Golden Acorn on to the stump of the hollow oak.

* * *

The first thing Sparrow noticed was how pleasantly warm she was. She was awakening from her sleep but had not opened her eyes yet. She felt the warm blanket of the sun's light on her skin. She couldn't remember how long it had been since she felt warmth as strong as this. As her mind slowly dragged itself from her unconsciousness, she began to question where she was. She vaguely remembered the events at Knothole Island but couldn't quite figure out where she was now. She felt like when she was younger and Theresa would let her laze in the grass by Bower Lake in one of their fair summers. She remembered the slights breeze sending the grass wayward and back across her skin and the sounds of insects buzzing by her without a pause. She also remembered the splash of a breaching fish every so often in that same lake. She wondered how and why she was back there now. She might have thought that she only dreamed about the last week- she had hoped it was a dream. She knew better. She began to wake up and now noticed how eerily quiet it was. She opened her eyes and shut them immediately. The sun was white and nearly blinded her. She covered her eyes and sat up. After she let her eyes adjust, she opened them once more to find herself in a sea of grey grain crops. She rubbed her eyes but the colour never returned.

Where was she anyways? She looked around the monochrome field and found no answer. The prairie was open and temperate and she could feel a small chill that might've been from an ocean nearby. She looked at her hand and saw that she retained her colour. She didn't understand. She didn't understand a lot of the things happening. Perhaps it is a dream, she thought. She noticed that she herself retained her natural colour. Strange dream, she added- she had very strange dreams in that submarine of Gordon's... Something clicked. Of course, she was asleep in the submarine. She crossed her arms and looked to the grey sky and waited for another Spire to erupt from the ground. Maybe some Suitors would rise up and attack her- dreams were lovely like that. She waited for the inevitable change in scenery that would come with sudden nightmares... And nothing was happening. She stood there, annoyed and impatient, "I'm growing very impatient," she said. This was perhaps the most dull nightmare Sparrow had ever dreamed... And yet, she did feel her hair standing on end like something was indeed about to happen.

Nothing.

Her next plan was to simply wake herself up. She remembered teaching herself how to awaken from nightmares about Rose's death when she was still a child in Theresa's care. Nightmares were commonplace back then and they were commonplace in the present... So why couldn't she wake herself up now? She pinched herself, shook her head, screamed and even tried to talk herself awake. No success. She squinted her eyes tightly and shook and jumped and yelped. Nothing. Just the sound of the gentle wind swimming through the prairie. She opened her eyes and was startled to see a monochrome little girl clutching a teddy bear smiling like she had seen the funniest thing in her short life. "You're a weird one!" She said before she turned and took off through the field.

"Wait!", Sparrow called, "Where are we?" She ran after the tyke and found herself surprisingly grounded- not slow or wobbly like in her other dreams. The dirt path she ran down led her to another field of grain, but she could see buildings and the gates of a small hamlet. She slowed to a stop before the entrance. It was a small archway of branches and twisting wood with 'Oakvale' etched into it. She wondered if she had ever heard that name and decided that she hadn't. She took a deep breath and continued the path into the village. Not too far away she came to a small string of houses circled around a large tree. It was rather beautiful, even in monochrome. She had a few questions for anyone she could find. There was a hooded woman standing in front of the tree. Sparrow approached her and saw the fabric of her cloak tightly wrapped around her forme and padded with leather armor and a metal shoulder guard. She carried a wooden staff with a massive fang on the tip. She also had three glass bottles strapped on her hip and one glowing lantern on the other side. Sparrow wasn't quite sure what to make of her. She had apparently caught the woman's attention, for she twitched as if caught off guard and spun around to face her. She couldn't see much under he hood but she could make out the lower part of a face worn with scars and age. Her skin was black and she had a small metal piercing in her bottom lip. She looked properly intimidating- perhaps she was a Hero. She certainly looked like one.

"Delilah," she said, "What is wrong?"

"I'm not Deli-" Sparrow caught the rest of the sentence in her throat as a piercing warmth shot through her back and out her front. A woman had run through her and fell to the ground in front of the Hero. She was gasping and crying into her arms. This was surely a dream, Sparrow thought.

"They're here, Whisper! They aren't dead!" The woman cried. A kazoo-sounding screech came from behind Sparrow, she turned and saw a humanoid dog-like beast with rusted armor and a strange helmet.

"Hell!" Whisper yelled. "Delilah, you must get everyone out of here- get them to Barrow Fields!"

* * *

In Oakfield, the 'rebirthing' ceremony had ended and the village had gone back to sleep. They were to wake up early though to write prayers and place them inside the cracks of the dead tree. They believed that when the acorn was planted in the stump, their wishes would be granted but sister Hannah told Elena that all the prayers would pertain to a bountiful harvest. As long as the Golden Oak thrived, Oakfield thrived, Hannah said and so she suggested that maybe the villagers were afraid of asking for something better and being disappointed or maybe they were selfless to not hope for more. Elena wanted to believe that these were truly as benevolent as they seemed- they certainly put the Bowerstoners to shame. Perhaps Elena would move here; start a life on the farm with a cow named Theresa and a studly large and muscular beast-of-a-man who would take their golden-haired children on horse rides around Oakfield. Elena chuckled at that last thought.

"What is it?" The woman under Elena asked. Sister Hannah had talked Elena into visiting the Temple of Light. She said that the waters might be able heal or at least ease her injury. It didn't take much convincing. Elena wasn't sure she believed in the apparent 'healing power' of the spring but she was willing to try anything after these last four days. Without any delay or prompting, Hannah had slung her new friend onto her back and carried her up the winding hills to the Temple of Light. Elena was glad once again that the villagers were asleep, lest they see her clinging to a beast-woman's back like a child.

"Just... Thinking about men."

"You are a strange one."

The rest of the trip was held in silence- apart from the leaves dancing in the wind and the songs of insects in the night. It was a very short distance before they arrived at the temple. It was beautiful and left Elena near breathless as the golden and white stone hauntingly glowed with cyan flames from sconces on the walls.

"Silver fire. It's supposed to keep away Balverines but they keep their distance from Oakfield. They're just for looks."

"Have you seen a Balverine?" Elena asked, mindlessly making small talk.

"No but I've heard stories. Have you?" They were now in the temple and Hannah had set Elena down by the pool.

"I think I might have," she said, "Two years ago in Spring, we were having a rainstorm and Ther.. a gypsy who lives in our camp advised us to close the gates and light the silver nitrate lanterns. We only had two- one above the gate and another by my friend's caravan."

Hannah had pulled a chalice from her pack and filled it with the spring water but by the look of her wide, fear or wonder-filled eyes, she would wait to heal her after the story.

"My caravan was on the other side of the camp. It was partly built into the fence and I would usually fall asleep looking out the crack between slabs of wood and to Bower lake but that night I remember waking up after everyone had gone to bed and not being able to see anything past the crack in the gate. I thought maybe it was because the moon was covered by the storm clouds. I looked up through the crack and I saw a pair of golden eyes staring down at me. It growled and then left but my friends told me it must've been a wolf... I don't think it was a wolf."

Hannah visibly shivered and shook her head. "That's terrifying. It makes me glad that Autumn is upon us. Most Balverines should have migrated to the East by now."

Hannah picked out the leaves from the spring water and handed it to Elena. She looked at it with slight disgust and drank the entire goblet. Immediately, a cooling sensation began to tickle the area she was shot. She pulled up her shirt and saw the redness and swelling on her injury go down. The injury itself turned into a light pink scar. She also felt the cooling sensation in her shoulder where had also been shot. She had forgotten about that one.

"Amazing isn't it?"

Elena nodded and Hannah let go of her to see if she had gained her balance back. When her friend was able to stand on her own, she led her to the Temple of Light's library. Elena had apparently asked too many questions that Hannah didn't have answers to. There was only one dome-like building on the temple grounds but the sister led her around the back and down a hatch. Underneath was a dimly-lit room with walls covered with large bookshelves.

"Albert the Luminous was a lover of books they say. He had many and after he died, the library kept growing with anything our brothers and sisters could get their hands on." The sister yawned and handed Elena the keys she used to open the library hatch. "Lock up when you're done, will you? I need some sleep."

"Goodnight," and with that, beast-woman climbed back up the stairs and closed the doors.

Elena had many questions that she wanted an answer to, she just wasn't entirely sure where she'd want to start. She had already read about Oakfield's settlement. Perhaps starting off with the healing properties of the spring? She went to the inventory book in the center of the room and searched for the word 'spring'.

"Spring... spring ... spring," she mumbled to herself.

She found three books with the word 'spring' in its name.

'The Spring of Light', 'Springtime at Blackreach', and 'Spring it on her'.

She went to the 'Religion' section of the library and found the book and opened it. It was a short detail of how Oakfiekd was built upon what was referred to as a 'Will Spring' that was apparently channeling benevolent energy into the waters. It went on to reference other 'Will Springs' around Albion. It theorized that Oakfield's wellspring was very similar to the Temple of Avo and the Temple of Skorm's springs. She had heard those two names and recognized them as the false gods that were worshipped back in the days of the guild and Jack of Blades. The book insisted that, like those old temples, the Lords of Light- the gods the monks worshipped, might be fictional. A fictional god, of course but the energy emitted from the land was undeniable. She also heard talk of a 'Temple of Shadow' around the town and learned of its occult and evil tendencies but the book barely touched upon it. It was no will spring. The book labeled it unrelated and insinuated that it was something different completely.

That was an answer enough for Elena but she wanted to see more since she was given the chance. She headed back to the index book and searched of 'Jack of Blades'.

There was no book on him unfortunately. It seemed that the book about Wellsprings was the most important book here- all the rest were fictional novels written by local authors- sometimes authors from their sister country of Ameryn. Elena saw that the library had a full selection of Meredith Sock's and Cragatha Misty's entire catalogue of books. Elena had read every book from Meredith so she was confused when she saw the title 'Secret Passageway' by the same author. She had never heard of that book. She located where the inventory book listed her works and pulled the unread book from the shelf.

She yelped as the book shot back from her fingers and into place. The bookcase swung open and Elena saw an extra room before her. She wondered what type of cruel joke that was but didn't think Hannah would prank her like that. She probably didn't know. Elena stepped inside the dark room and saw only one large book on a pedestal. She picked it up and wiped of the thick layer of dust from the cover.

'Fable of the Seven' was inscribed into the leather book with golden lettering. 'Written by Evelyn Black.'

A fable? Elena though to herself. And who was Evelyn Black?

She opened the book and looked at the first page. There was a sketch of the Tattered Spire rising out of the sea and the Hero's insignia was setting into the sea like the sun. She closed the book, minding the fragile binding and left the library. Surely she'd find out if the monks knew of the secret passageway now. She climbed the staircase and left the Temple of Light, locking the door behind her with the keys the sister gave her. She would give it to her tomorrow when she asked about the new book. Elena scurried back to the Sandgoose inn and went to her room. She sat down at the desk, ignoring Brave Knight growling at her for forgetting him in the locked room. She opened the book once more and skipped through the pages.

Three gems... Monarchy... The Spire... And the Seven Heroes that would save Albion from the destruction of a man's insanity. Elena wasn't quite sure what to make of the book. The next few pages covered each of the Heroes and each Hero had their own colour and symbol. Elena recognized all of the symbols. She had seen them carved into the top of Hero Hill. Perhaps she could assist Sparrow in her search. Elena remembered Sparrow was named the Hero of Purpose and she didn't doubt that Theresa herself was one of the seven. She turned the page.

The Sixth Hero, Purpose, represented by the colour orange and the symbol of a bird whose wings turned into tornados. 'The _Hero of Purpose is the instrumental tool in the salvation of Albion. Born into hardship, the Hero is destined for greatness unparalleled._'

It seemed to fit Sparrow. She'd be pleased to know that her future seems bright, Elena thought bittersweetly. She wouldn't admit it but Elena began to envy the superiority of her friend sometimes but she shook the thought from her mind. Sparrow and Elena were in Oakfield searching for the Hero of Strength and Elena was beginning to suspect she had found a suitable candidate. She skipped back a few pages.

The Third Hero, Strength, represented by the colour blue and the symbol of a sword. _'This Hero has great spirit, and awesome strength - but it is not yet unleashed. The only thing the Hero fears is not being strong enough to save the ones they love_.'

* * *

Sparrow had followed the Hero around for the better part of an hour, uselessly watching as she fought what were called Minions and Summoners as they invaded the village of Oakvale and slaughtered the people. The woman had run into a dark palatial structure where the monsters had been coming from. The halls were narrow and dark. The Hero was traversing each turn and calling for a child.

"Michael! Where are you!?" She was short of breath, "What have you done Michael?!"

Eventually the woman found her way to a chamber with large doors. She kicked them open and gasped as an unseen force grabbed hold of her and dragged her inside. Sparrow chased after her and saw her being suspended over a chasm in a circular room. A young man was trembling in fear and another woman laid dead at his feet.

"Delilah! Michael, what have you done?!" The Hero asked struggling in her unseen binding.

The boy sounded on the verge of tears and choked, "I didn't want this," he said.

A dark voice came from the back of the room- a voice that haunted Sparrow for how beautiful and terrifying it was, "Of course you did. You decided to feed the souls of all of the villagers to us in return for eternal beauty," a woman clad in shadows said. Across the chasm were three large thrones, one of which was dilapidated. The highest was the seat the crowned, ethereal woman was sitting in and on lower right sat an and noted figure also cloaked in shadows but he didn't speak. The Hero tried to turn her head but some force straightened it forward.

"Who are you?" She hissed, "Fight me, shadow. You have killed my friends and family."

The shadow said nothing and instead waved at the boy. "Come Michael," she said smoothly. "This is the last soul of Oakvale." The boy shook his head and the queen hissed in delight. "You've already killed so many, dear Michael. She is simply the last."

"Please don't make me do this."

"Do it or I shall do it myself. You have already agreed to our bargain."

"Don't do it Michael," The Hero warned.

"I can't. Please," the boy cried.

There was a moment of silence and the queen said, "Very well." The Hero was lurched back and grabbed by the massive hand of the shadow queen. The she-devil looked down at her prey struggling in her palm with her piercing red eyes. Perhaps this is better," she considered. "Your husband has wronged us. It is only right that you pay for his sin." The queen squeezed and the woman screamed and Sparrow could hear bones breaking. The red eyes turned up to the boy. "Leave now, sweet child. Consider our deal satisfied for now. Know that one day, we will need more."

The boy ran.

The queen looked back down at the broken Hero in her hand. "Will I hear you cry his name when you die?" She asked. "Or perhaps your child?"

The queen was silent for a few seconds.

"I have not tasted his soul. He has escaped."

The Hero spit at the shadow in a dying effort of rebellion.

"Amusing," she said before she completely crushed the Hero in her hand like an insect. She tossed the mangled corpse into chasm.

Back outside, Sparrow watched as fire engulfed Oakvale and she cried at the screams of the damned that would not leave her head. She found the boy just outside the burned village sobbing into the dirt. She sat beside him and closed her eyes. This had to have been the worst dream Sparrow's ever had. After what seemed like an eternity of sitting next to the crying child, he got up, wiped his eyes and left the town. Sparrow watched him go and sobbed silently. There was a small tug at her pants and she turned and saw the little girl from earlier. She smiled at Sparrow with broken teeth and handed her the teddy bear she had been holding.

Everything went white and the dream was over.

Sparrow awoke inside the submarine. She shook her head and wiped the tears from her eyes. She didn't want Gordon seeing her crying. She sat in silence for hours, looking through the port hole at the black ocean and going over everything she had just dreamt.

Was there something worse than Lucien?

She felt the trickling of water on her leg and for a second, she might've thought there to be a leak in the watercraft but saw that the water was coming from her pack. She opened it and saw a broken snowglobe. She pulled it out and looked at the design of a very familiar town inside. She put it back and planned on throwing it away when she felt something else. She pulled it out and saw the teddy bear. It was then that Gordon disturbed her from her thoughts.

"We've arrived at Oakfield," he said. He opened the latch and helped Sparrow up and onto the docks. She thanked him a couple of times and said goodbye.

She turned and walked to the Sandgoose inn, praying that tonight she may receive a dreamless sleep for once.

* * *

The Fourth Hero, Fortitude, represented by the colour purple and the symbol of a shield. '_Fortitude is a Hero unmatched in endurance. The body is strong enough to break steel but the heart is weak_.'

Elena was startled from her reading when Brave Knight barked and the door swung open to reveal a very worn-looking Sparrow. Her friend didn't spare her or the dog a second glance after closing the door. She simply made her way to the bed, cloak, pack, cleavers and all, and just fell onto the bed.

"Alright," Elena said, tapping her finger on the desk.

No reply.

"Well I'm better now."

"..."

"I also found more of those crystals. I think they'll fetch a large price in Bowerstone."

"Please tell me tomorrow."

"I'm also pretty sure I found the Hero of Strength as well."

"Please tell me tomorrow."

"There's also this book I found talking about the Seven Heroes."

Sparrow just opened her eyes and glared at her friend. Elena came and laid beside her.

"So where were you?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow."

Sparrow's arms wrapped around her and squeezed tightly. The Hero snuggled up and closed her eyes and began to snore softly into her bosom. Brave Knight jumped up on the bed and laid on top of them both.

Elena hoped that the monks wouldn't be upset with her stealing another chalice from the Wellspring of Light. By the way she was angled around Sparrow and Brave in bed, she was likely going to need it.


	8. The Ritual

**Pre-notes: Couldn't stop writing after the last chapter.**

**Welcome Morphine Kittymax**

* * *

_'The only thing the Hero fears is not being strong enough to save the ones they love.' -Evelyn Black._

* * *

_Elena has arrived in Bowerstone_

"Thank you, Theresa."

Sparrow had spent the last two days off. She wasn't too afraid to admit that the first day, she spent in bed with her dog and listening to Elena's stories about the trip to the crystal cave or the secret passageway under the Temple of Light. This 'sister Hannah didn't know about the book but told Elena to keep it. Elena was also sure that Hannah was the Hero of Strength. Every time Sparrow asked what she had done to show herself as one, Elena would just frustratingly say 'You'll know.'

The morning before, Sparrow tried to meet Hannah but was told no and that the brothers and sisters of the Temple of Light would being praying all day in preparation for the rebirthing ritual the following day. That day, Sparrow took Brave Knight on a walk around Oakfield and a small bit of Rookridge. She saw that the bridge had been completely fixed and told Elena when she came back to the inn later that day. The next day- present day, Elena set out to Bowerstone to find a buyer for the crystals. She trusted Elena to make a sizable profit from the transaction.

Sparrow had spent the morning hours bathing up and cleaning her clothes- she wanted to make a good first impression after all. It was now later afternoon and the sun would soon be off of its zenith. She was walking up the winding road to the Temple of Light and found herself walking through a small crowd of monks and receiving worried looks because of the cleavers on her hips and the mutt at her side. She overheard them talking about the ritual and the abbot. She made it to the main building and overheard a conversation- a disagreement between the abbot and a man who was named 'Robin'.

"Father, the sacred texts clearly say that only two monks may enter the cave. No one else."

Sparrow was surprised to see how collected the abbot was even when his disciple questioned him. She knew more than a few people who would've been offended by the insolence.

"I'll not send my only child into unknown dangers without any protection."

And that; Elena had said that the Hero of Strength was a sister at the temple and was the abbot's daughter specifically.

"I will find an escort, and that's the end of it."

Well that seemed like a perfect time for Sparrow to introduce herself. She stepped in, trying to hide her small spike of vanity but gallantly nonetheless. Both of their heads turned as she walked in.

"Ah, hello there, my child."

The abbot saw the cleavers at her side. "I wonder..." The abbot asked Robin to leave them. When the brother had left the temple, the abbot said, "You must be Sparrow. The town crier told us what you've done in Rookridge. More importantly, my daughter has met your dear friend Elena. She told Hannah about your travels," he said, "I think you can be of great use to us."

"I'd be all too happy to help in any way I can, father."

"Would you walk with me?" He asked.

She lent him her arm and they walked from the Temple down the hill and past the waterfall. "Now," he said, "My daughter says that you're hoping to recruit some more adventurers to join you. Am I correct in this assumption?"

"More or less, yes," Sparrow said. It wasn't like she could ask to take his daughter from him. She wondered how it would play out. If Hannah was truly committed to priesthood, it was going to be a hell of a time trying to recruit her. The fact that the abbot was her own father made it worse. She would think of something, if not, Theresa could- she always did.

"I see. Now you'll notice that Oakfield is not a particularly... exposed town. You'll not find fighters here but in the northern lands of Albion, there are clans of dwellers who are already battle-worn and hardened. I might ask, however, what your agenda is for recruiting such warriors."

Sparrow thought about the question as they stepped over the rocks in the river above the waterfall. She took a breath. "Father, at a young age, I faved cruelty from this world. My sister was killed by..." She couldn't say Lucien. The abbot would shut down at the sign of revenge. Perhaps a beast. "By a Hobbe."

"My poor, sweet child," the abbot said, wounded by her words. "We have had the occasional incident with them. Usually during the winter when the Golden Oak has withered. There was one time where we found nothing left of a woman's son other than his shoe. He was gone. Hobbes are innocence perverted," the father said with a tear rolling down his eye.

He was a very wonderful man, Sparrow thought. She felt guilty for lying to him.

"So yes," he said, wiping away the tear. "If you can assist us in the ritual, I will send letters to those tribes and ask for their assistance."

Sparrow turned and held his hand in her own. "Thank you, father. What do you need me to do?"

"Autumn is here now, child. The world is dying to rebirth again in the spring. The Golden Oak is very similar. Under Oakfield, there is a wellspring of magical proportions. It is the very essence of light and benevolence. The Golden Oak is our deity, and it is only natural that its acorn be cleansed in those holy waters."

Sparrow and the abbot sat down by the waterfall's edge.

"The sacred texts that we study says two monks must enter this cave: the strongest, and the second of the abbot's choosing. This concerns me, especially since the strongest monk here is my own child."

"Are these caves dangerous?"

"Naturally, no. It is a place of holiness where the two lords of light can be remembered and worshipped."

"Then what is your concern, father?"

"On your way to Oakfield, did you perhaps see a darkened cathedral on a spire in the coast?" Sparrow nodded, noting the grim look on the abbot's face. "It is the Temple of Shadow- sworn enemies of Oakfield and her people. They seek to destroy the Golden Oak and eradicate the Temple of Light. The threat has always loomed over us, as the founding of both the temples took place at the same time, centuries ago, but lately, something has changed. Some villagers have noticed mask-wearing people skirting the town at night, quickly retreating when spotted. We have the guards on watch but the timing of these occurrences... They've started after a thief burgled our library and stole our books on the Golden Oak. We believe they've learned how to sabotage the ritual."

"And so I am to keep your daughter safe if, forbid, an occurrence happens in the cave."

"Precisely. After hearing of you and your friend's bravery in Rookridge, I knew it had to be you, child." Sparrow was about to speak when the abbot stood. "Forgive my haste, child. The ritual has already been delayed."

"Of course," Sparrow said. "Where am I to head?"

"Follow the road back to the town, there is a fork in the road. The one less-traveled by will lead you to Hannah." The abbot kissed Sparrow's forehead and thanked her.

She left with a bow and began to tread the road. What a truly remarkable man, she thought. She would have very much wanted to be adopted by him when she was a child.

The road was silent, and Sparrow felt a small twist in her stomach. She couldn't tell if she was excited or nervous to meet the Hero. Did Hannah even know she was a Hero? She passed the valley with the docile beetles. She wondered if Hannah would want to leave Oakfield- it was so peaceful and perfect here, Sparrow herself would have trouble leaving. Sparrow eventually reached the aforementioned fork in the road and she took the road that she had not traveled before. She arrived at a cave surrounded by old, ruinous pillars and arches that had rusted centuries ago and were covered with tails of ivy and flowers. She heard something and walked closer. She saw a figure sitting on one of the arches. She was large and muscular and more of a beast than a woman. Sparrow could have easily mistaken her for a Troll, especially so since her scarlet dreads looked like the blood of a dying animal. What a Hero of Strength that would have been. Fitting, naturally but this Hero didn't quite seem to fit the mold. A closer look and Sparrow saw a young dove perched on the beast-woman's finger. It swayed happily as the woman sang. Her voice was soft and incredible and the dove sang too.

"_Down by the reeds, down by the reeds._

_Swim the sirens of Oakvale out to the seas._

_Down by the reeds, down by the reeds._

_Float the souls left unbroken by White Balverines._

_Down by the reeds, night-blooming weeds embrace those who go dancing in sad, moon-lit dreams._

_Down by the reeds, a twisted path leads._

_To Banshees who breath out a cold winter breeze. _

_Nobody knows, nobody sees._

_The sirens of Oakvale down by the reeds."_

Brave Knight barked and Hannah's dove flew away. She saw Sparrow and jumped from the arch. "I knew my lovely singing voice would bring the crowds." Brave Knight ran to her and she reached down and grabbed the old dog. She rocked him and he barked excitedly and licked her face. "Hello, boy! Hello! Oh you're a big strong, handsome fella, aren't ya? Oh Elena told me about you, you old lump!"

Sparrow giggled at the scene and Hannah looked up at her with a smile. "Are you Sparrow then?" She asked. Sparrow nodded and she said "That's lovely that is. Elena told me about you. My name is Hannah. People call me Hammer when they think they're being clever- they're not."

"It is very nice to meet you, Sister Hannah."

There was a slight tingling sensation on Sparrow's breast. She looked down and saw her seal glowing a fierce blue. She glanced up to see if her new friend noticed but she was too busy feeling Brave that she'd feel better with him in there. If there ever was a confirmation about her being the Hero of Strength, that was it. The Book of Heroes said that the Hero was represented by the colour blue and since it had never done that before... Well at this point it was just obvious. She quickly snatched the seal from her chest and stuffed it into her pocket. She didn't want to concern the sister.

"Oh but I don't care about those people, big boy," she said looking down into the dog's eyes. "Pacifists don't punch people's faces in, boy."

"You've.. Never? Not even considered it?"

Hannah looked back at Sparrow, "Of course not. We're sworn into pacifism when we join the Temple of Light. It's a small price to pay but sometimes I can feel a need to rollout someone who calls me a troll. But I've never."

Sparrow nodded in admiration. She was certainly smarter than Sparrow. There was a couple times in the gypsy camp where she leveled some other girl for calling her flat-chested. On the other hand, Sparrow also despaired. Just another reason Hannah might join.

"Well I'm ready if you are," Hannah said, letting Brave Knight down and grabbing a golden urn the size of Sparrow and slinging it over her shoulder like it weighed nothing. "I don't mind telling you I'm a bit envious. You get to watch me carry this bloody thing like some sort of mule- I mean look at it! It's enormous! Golden or not, how much water does a bloody acorn need?" Sparrow laughed and shook her head. She liked Hannah already. "After you," Hannah said nodding towards the cave.

Down into the cave they went. Torches were already lit and prepared for them. It was a long tunnel that lead them to the underside of Oakfield. At the end of that tunnel, they entered a cavern with a small land-bridge leading down to the central chamber. On the sides of the bridge were golden statues of what Sparrow could only assume to be the former abbots. Each held a glass acorn and each acorn had a bright ball of light that glimmered. There was a warm feeling to them as well.

"They're lovely," Hannah said, "I think they're called wisps. Souls of the dead who never left this world. The canticles tell us that these are the spirits of the former abbot's watching over the springs... It's actually rather sad, isn't it?"

"It is. But it's a beautiful sentiment. I wonder what happens when a threat arises? Do you think they can ward it off?"

"I haven't a clue."

The arrived at the central chamber. It was a large, steel-gated done with three portcullises, three golden switches and a brazier in the middle of the room. Under the grated flooring, Sparrow saw clockwork machinery. Did the monks build this, she wondered. Apparently Hannah had been just as surprised.

"Wow! I've never seen anything like this. Ever!"

"I hope you know how to work these," Sparrow said.

"I do. They're pressure plates. According to my father, they'll require more weight as we collect more water. Luckily this bloody thing is already unimaginably heavy already."

She stepped on the plate to the left and the portcullis opened like it was supposed to. The two Heroes and their faithful companion traveled even deeper into the cave. The path wasn't long by any means, but Sparrow still couldn't fathom how Oakfield was able to stand on these empty spaces without collapsing. The path led to a small statue of a monk. She held a goblet and appeared to be pouring a clear liquid from it.

"Here we are," Hannah said. She asked Sparrow to stay silent as she angled the urn under the stream of water.

"Lords of light, we thank you for this water and ask that you grant us a bountiful harvest this Autumn."

Hannah nodded, "I'm supposed to pray each time the water gets filled. It's gonna be a bit before this ones done though." A few seconds passed and the water begin to rise in the urn. "Oh yeah. I can feel this thing getting even heavier. That's nice that is," she said sarcastically. She didn't stop with the sarcasm there though. "You know, this is probably going to be the highlight of my life- "'The day I carried a jug through a cave!' Hardly epic poem stuff, is it?"

"You don't talk much do you?" Hannah asked. By comparison, Sparrow might as well have been mute. She just found it hard to get a word in.

"Sorry about that," Sparrow said. She tried to think of a conversation-holder. "I heard that you were orphaned when the abbot adopted you."

The urn had been filled halfway already and the water from the statue's goblet halted the flow of water as if it knew. "You must have been an orphan too, yeah?"

"How did you know?" Sparrow asked, wary about what Elena might've told her.

"You just have the air. Independent. But yes, my father found me in the northern lands of Albion on a pilgrimage. My parents were nowhere to be found. He took me in."

"Do you love your father?" Sparrow motioned for Hannah to follow her back to the central chamber.

"Of course I do. Did you not love the one who adopted you?"

They began the walk back up the steep tunnel to the central chamber.

"Nobody adopted me. That's not what I was trying to get at either, I apologize for that. It's a strange concept for me." Hannah said something but bit her tongue when Sparrow kept talking, "Your religion- religion in general is strange as any foreign concept to me as well."

"How do you mean?" the sister asked.

"Idolizing what you can't see. I don't understand that."

"Oh. Yes that can be confusing sometimes. I guess I was just raised that way... Now that I think about it, I don't really think about my prayers anymore. Before I eat, I thank the lords of light for the food that's been given to me but I guess it's become so routine that my words don't seem to mean much."

"Again, I'm not trying to make you question your faith or see my perspective, I just was conf-" Hannah cut off Sparrow.

"Why shouldn't I question my religion? Everyone should question everything. I believe what I believe but I've always doubted it because somewhere else, someone believes in a different faith as much as me. Who's to say ours is worth a toss?"

This was not the point of Sparrow's question. She felt bad for bringing it up but she had to admit, the sister was bringing up valid points.

"I've already had thoughts like this. And we might be wrong for believing the lords of light but I still do."

They finally arrived at the central chamber and Sister Hannah stepped on the next panel and the second portcullis open. This time, the watering chamber was there- no tunnel leading to it.

"I've heard of monks in the north who believe that to transcend violence, you have to understand it first. I've always wanted to learn their ways."

"Why don't you?"

Perhaps having Hannah leave sisterhood wasn't so hard after all.

"I... I just can't ever imagine breaking my vow. I can't pull myself to approach violence."

Or not.

"Alright, second chamber," Hannah said. She kneeled down and placed her urn under two monks. One held his goblet above the other's and it was his goblet that was pouring water into the urn.

"Lords of light, bring us the promise for an equally bountiful harvest next Autumn." The water began to fill the urn. The water was reaching the rim.

She shows promise, but we need a Hero, not a pacifist monk. There must be a reason for her to fight.

Hannah let out a sigh and rolled her neck. "You'd think they would have made the jug with a flat bottom, in case you want to have a rest but as it is, the water would just spill out and then where would we be?" The water stopped pouring from the goblets and Hannah pulled the urn on to her back again and they began their walk back to the central chamber.

"I think it's my father."

"Your father?"

"Why I can't break my vows. He raised me on them. It's who I am. He's everything to me and I can't imagine giving that up."

"I understand, Hannah."

Back in the hub chamber, Hannah stepped on the final plate. "Nearly done," she said. The walk through the final tunnel was silent as Sparrow went over everything that was said. They were nearly at the final chamber when they entered a small crypt. "This is where they keep the bodies of the old abbot. They used to, I mean. There's no more room so they started burying the abbots under the Golden Oak. Behind that door is the final chamber," Hannah said.

Inside, the floor was covered in a submerged in a few inches of water and there were two statues unlike the ones that they had seen before. One of a man wielding a large hammer and another of a woman holding an urn. "These are the lords of light," Hannah said. "Sol and Stone. They created Oakfield after they found the wellspring of light and ascended to godhood when they passed away."

"Tha-"

"Touching stories, darling, truly."

Sparrow, Hannah and Brave Knight turned to see a man dressed head-to-toe in black, leather armor. He wore a mask of a withered and warped skull. "But I'm afraid I have to cut this short. The Golden Oak will die today." He brought out a cutlass and sunk into a fighting stance.

"Oh my," Hannah said. "You can get us out of here, can't you?"

Before Sparrow could grab her cleavers, the assassin sprung forward and smashed his hilt down on Sparrow's face and he followed it up a spinning kick when she wheeled back. He brought his cutlass down on where Sparrow had been just a second earlier. She rolled out of the way and stood with her cleavers drawn. The assassin smiled and stepped forward.

"My, but aren't you a talented girl. It's nothing personal, I promise. My services are the best around- you should be proud!"

He spun and swung his sword and it might've split her neck open if Brave Knight hadn't caught the assassin's arm with his teeth. The man screamed as blood poured out.

"Shit!"

In that moment, Sparrow swung a cleaver and it glided across his chest. She would have used her electricity spell if the submerged chamber wouldn't channel it and kill them all. He stumbled backwards and shook the mutt off. Sparrow lunged forward to finish the fight but the man had sprung out a miniature crossbow with his good arm and shot her in the leg and in the shoulder. She gasped and fell to her knees. She tried to stand but he shot another bolt into her leg. She yelped and fell back down.

She looked up and saw him loading another one but she would give him that chance. Her heart began to beat out a familiar cold sensation and her skin lit up. She heard Hannah gasp in surprise but she paid her no attention. She course the magic through the bones in her arm, her forearm and into her fingers. She punched towards him and a green glow shot out and knocked him back on to the ground. He tried to sit up but she shot another one out and it kept him down. She dropped her cleavers and pulled out her pistol.

The assassin tried to stand again but she knocked him down and began to crawl to him. She grunted and moaned as she dragged her injured leg but still would force push him back to the ground every time he tried to get up.

"Stop it! Please!"

She ignored him and kept casting her spell. When she was above him she aimed her pistol to his face and fired. A crack resounded through the chamber and Sparrow no longer had to cast a spell to keep him down. Her will lines disappeared and she fell back to her knees. She pulled out the bolts with tremendous pain and drank a potion. It helped immediately but it would be about an hour before she could walk.

She turned and saw the sister cowering beside the statues.

"I'm fine," Sparrow said. "Please bless the water."

The woman nodded and knelt between the two statues. "Lords of Light, bless this water, that with it we may give rise to new life once more. As new life rises, so shall we. As the seed returns to the earth, so do we all." The woman then replaced the statues urn with the one she was carrying. She then placed the old urn on the wall and came back to Sparrow.

"I... Thank you. You were brilliant. I was worried for a moment there. Well, for several moments."

"How did you do that, Sparrow?"

"I'm..."

If there was a time to say it, it was now.

"I'm a Hero. I used will."

"A Hero? Amazing! ...Are you going to be all right?"

Sparrow was going to say 'yes' when the port culled that was going to lead them out opened on the far side of the room. They saw the monk from earlier come through it. He was panting and sweating.

"Sister Hannah!" he cried.

"...Brother Robin? What is it?"

"It's your father. One of Lucien's men... he's holding him hostage at the temple! He has a gun!"

"Shit," Sparrow said. Hannah ran to the statue of Sol and broke the hammer away from his stone arms. She swung it over her shoulder and ran out of the chamber. "Hannah no!" Sparrow cried, getting to her feet and hobbling after her.

"I have to save my father!"

Sparrow left the chamber and found herself in the Temple of Light's orchard. She could scarcely make out the silhouette of Hannah in the dusklight of early night. Hannah was running for the Temple of Light. Sparrow couldn't let Hannah get taken.

"Hannah!" She called. She limped up the hill as fast as she was able to, cursing her injured leg every step of the way. When she passed over the stepping stones of the waterfall, she was able to hear them talk.

"Father! Are you okay?"

"He's one of Lucien's men, Hannah."

"You're coming with me or he dies."

"Like hell I am. You let him go before I break you in half!"

Sparrow sucked in a large breath and pushed through the pain in her leg. Tears rolled down her eyes and she pushed to get to the top of the hill.

Sparrow heard a gunshot.

"No!" Hannah shrieked.

"Don't make me kill you too."

Sparrow had finally made it into the temple and the man turned and shot haphazardly towards her. Beneath him laid the abbot and in front of him, a broken woman who had taken the opportunity of his distraction and swung the massive hammer. It met with his chest and he was completely pulverized against the wall of the temple. His pieces twitches and spasmed as he died.

Hannah dropped the hammer and fell to her knees in front of her dead father. For a moment, she just stared at his corpse with a thousand-yard stare.

Then the tears came and she let out a wail skin to a dying animal. She covered her face with her hands and started bawling.

"Father!" She cried. "I could have stopped him!" She began to pull on her hair as she screamed "You idiot! You stupid fool!"

She looked up and Sparrow saw her blisteringly red eyes and pools of tears forming below them. She howled again like a dying animal and went back down to her father. "I could have stopped him before he..." Hannah cried more and sat up her father with her large hands and closed his eyes. She then wrapped her massive arms around the small man and embraced him.

"You idiot," she cried.

"You idiot."

"You idiot."

"You idiot."

Sparrow couldn't find the words to say.

* * *

The next morning the town of Oakfield came to the Golden Oak stump to mourn the passing of their beloved father. Each brought forth a story of how he changed their lives or just how nice of a man he was. During the whole ceremony, Hannah kept quiet and away from everybody else. When someone would approach her with words of encouragement, she would step away from them and they would get the message. Sparrow was standing beside her and every now and the , would hazard a look towards her. She would see that Hannah was no longer crying but her eyes were still blood red and she had visibly thinned hair from when she pulled it out the night before.

Eventually the townsfolk left and only the monks stayed. They began the process of completing the ritual. They buried the abbot and the golden acorn in his hands. They did his final rights and asked her to join in on the blessing. She rejected them and they began their chant. Slowly, a small bud from the grave rose and sprouted a few twigs which grew a single leaf on it. The monks then asked if she wanted to say anything else before the ceremony is over and slowly, she nodded.

She lowered herself onto her knees and began to pet the leaf.

"I'm sorry father," she started. "Not for breaking my vow. I'm sorry I didn't break it sooner. I never did fit in at this place. We both knew that. And now I'm making a new vow:"

Hannah plucked the golden leaf from the sapling, causing some gasps between the other monks.

"Lucien will die for what he did to you. I won't break this one."

She then bottled the leaf and strapped it to her belt.

With nothing else, the monks turned and left her. Not a word was said from them.

"Is that it then?" Hannah asked, walking to the edge of the cliff and looking out at the ocean and the spire. "My father's gone and the Golden Oak is flourishing again? So life just goes on as before, does it?"

Seemingly out of nowhere, a woman dressed in a red and white robe with milky eyes appeared as if out of nowhere beside her. Hannah just looked at her like had run out of energy to be frightened.

"The other monks may believe that, but your eyes have been opened," Theresa said.

"Where did you come from? Who are you?"

"Someone who can tell you much about Lucien. Where he is, what his plans are, and how you can gain your revenge. If you will listen."

"I want to know everything."

"Then take my hand, Sister Hannah."

"Call me Hammer."

Hammer's hand settled into Theresa's and the two were gone.


	9. The Hero of Strength

**Pre-Notes:**

**Guardian of Light Lightus, thanks m8.**

**No harm done, gaara king of the sand.**

**Welcome Zuzian.**

* * *

It was no sooner that the funeral ended that Sparrow left Oakfield. There was nothing more it could offer her and she'd prefer not growing anymore attached to it than she was already. The trip to Bowerstone was a silent one and fortunately, a docile one as well. The bridge had been fixed but not very well, she thought to herself. It was a bang-up job but it would support her. She hadn't seen much of Rookridge with the hurricane that rolled through days prior. It was a pretty region. It was a craggy coast above the Albion Ocean. Its trees had mostly been cut down for Bowerstone's ever-growing need for resources. It was also slightly humid because of its neighboring region of Dew Springs- a swamp surrounding the northern half of Bowerstone and more specifically, Dew Springs bordered Bowerstone's cemetery.

It was a short journey back down the coast- maybe only a few hours and the sun was drawing near the horizon. It would soon be night, but Sparrow wished the night would come sooner. She had been loathing the thought of having to walk through Old Town. It held well-forgotten memories that she would very much like not remembering. The last time she had been here, Old Town was covered in fog in the hurricane, and the second, a very dark night, but it seemed that now, there was no veiling her old home. As she walked through the stone gate, she did have to admit that it looked better than before. The houses were remodeled with nicer wood and the stone streets had been cleaned thoroughly. There was more greenery and decorative glass beads that hung between the houses. Rainbows of light danced around the roads and the kids would run around and play under them. There were no more dirt patches where the cobble road didn't cover- there was bright green grass and vivid flowers.

There were no homeless littering the streets, no more dead animals stinking the roads. The people who lived here were well-groomed and wore nice clothing. She had wondered if this was actually Old Town. It was beautiful. She didn't remember Old Town being beautiful... Only the vista overlooking Central and Fairfax where Rose and Sparrow's shanty stood was beautiful.

Sparrow was to head to the marketplace to find Elena but she decided to take a detour instead. She turned down that old road where Murgo's caravan sat all those years ago when they bought that onyx music box. Down the alley and past Arfur's old house and back to that vista. It was still as beautiful as she remembered. When she saw it last, snowflakes danced across Central. It seemed that now and in a similar fashion, reddened leaves fell on the light wind above the city. Flashes of red, yellow and orange flickered in the setting sunlight. Sparrow looked up and saw the large willow. It was as yellow as gold and it swayed softly. She turned and walked to where their shanty was... And found it was gone. Her heart sunk and she felt bittersweet. It was an eyesore, but it was now replaced with two beehives. It didn't feel right to remove it but after ten years and a complete facelift to Old Town, it was to no surprise. It was getting late and Sparrow debated turning in at the Cow and Corset. She instead, walked past the beehives and laid against the wall. She wanted to sleep here tonight. The bees were far too busy to bother her and even though Autumn was arriving, the nights were still warm.

She pulled from her pack, a small container of food from the Sandgoose that she bought before she had left as well as a pouch of water. Brave Knight hummed and begged beside her but she was too far in thought to hear him. She imagined herself as a child, meeting with her now. She envisioned a scrawny little girl running up to her and begging for a scrap of her lemon bread or a drop of water. She imagined herself giving the child the entire plate since she needed it more... But if that wasn't her own childhood, would she have been so kind? She harbored a sort of resentment against the people who turned them away but started to understand them. The people with houses weren't too better off than Rose and Sparrow. They had holes in their walls and rotted food... Could Sparrow really blame their selfishness?

She huffed and tossed aside that lovely insightfulness that Theresa has bestowed upon her and brought out the book of heroes Elena had found in Oakfield's library. She would soon need to find the rest of the heroes. She paused for a moment to consider. There were seven heroes. Sparrow was the Hero of Purpose, Hammer- Hero of Strength and...

"Theresa, are you one of the Seven?"

_The Hero of Duty_

And it seemed that the Hero of Duty was already recruited- or more so, did the recruiting. That means they had three of the seven heroes. She opened the black leather book and flipped to the pages of the heroes. She needed to find four more- the Hero of Will, the Hero of Skill, the Hero of Fortitude and the Hero of Determination. Elena had read her the Fortitude ones but she had not read the others.

The Fifth Hero, Will, represented by the colour red and the symbol of a burning fist. 'Will _is a powerful wizard well-versed in the arcane arts. The Hero owns boundless knowledge of this world and beyond and holds immense patience_.'

And Sparrow found herself no closer to finding another Hero. She opened another page.

The Second Hero, Skill, represented by the colour yellow and the symbol of a bow. 'Skill _owns the venom and wit of a viper hiding in the marsh. Beauty and power bought at a high price_.'

The sun was beginning to set and soon Sparrow would be out of light to read with. She turned to the last hero's page and read as the sun dissolved into the ocean.

The First Hero, Determination, represented by the colour green and the symbol of a tree rooted in stone.

There was no description of the Hero of Determination. Sparrow squinted at the page to see if perhaps lettering had faded but to no avail. There simply was nothing there. The sun had set and she would need to wait until dawn before she could read again.

"There you are." Sparrow looked up and saw her old friend. "Theresa told me you were here."

"Mm"

"Are you alright? It can't be easy coming back here."

Sparrow took a few seconds to answer her friend. She debated on just saying that she was fine but she didn't like to lie to Elena. "Rose and I used to live in a shanty right here."

"I understand, Sparrow. You don't need to tell me any more than you want to."

"Thank you..."

There was a moment of silence between them for just a moment.

"Well actually, there was this crone named Gertrude. She lived just down the street. She was horrendous. Kicked out of her noble estate for buggering the horses."

"Lovely."

"Yes. She moved to Old Town after finding a man. Blacksmith I think. I don't remember."

"That was when you were a kid?"

"Yes. I haven't seen her now. I haven't seen her daughter Berfa or her boyfriend, Rex."

"Friends of yours?"

"Not nearly. Berfa had a toy gun that she would use to shoot marbles at the other kids and her boyfriend would beat up any of them that told on her."

"Did you have any friends?"

"No. I wasn't very social," Sparrow said. "I do sometimes wonder what happened to them- I haven't seen them."

"Old Town changed a lot these last years, Sparrow. It's wealthier and the worker class was evicted by the local lord. The majority of them should be in Bowerstone's Quay. Think Gertrude and her brats like it there?"

"Not Gertrude," said Sparrow with a dark little laugh. "I heard she died." Elena gave her a surprised expression. Clearly she wasn't used to seeing her laughing at dead people. Sparrow couldn't help it though. She giggled and covered her face with the Book of Heroes to hide how much she was laughing. She felt her face turn red and tears welled up in her eyes. "I heard," she said between bouts of giggles, "I heard she made a move on another horse in the Marketplace and was stamped to death." She bit it out, laughing at how awful she was, but more specifically, how awful Gertrude was. A woman tried to mate with a horse and got kicked to death. Sparrow felt a bitterness for herself at how much pleasure she took from that.

"That's rather sad actually."

"I know," Sparrow said, "The horse will never recover from the trauma." With that she could only laugh harder as Elena leaned over and smacked her face. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Hell, Sparrow, you're mad," Elena said. She shook her head in disgust but nonetheless, a smile cracked on her lips. "Well if you're done looning over a dead woman, I have news for you too. Ready to go turn in for the night?" She asked. Sparrow shook her head and it didn't take a genius to know she wanted to spend the night here with the bees. Elena decided to stay with her. "Right, well I found a buyer for those crystals here in town. Gave me more gold than I thought I'd ever have."

Sparrow rubbed the tears from her eyes. "And how much would that be?"

"For about two and a half stones worth of crystals, I was given nearly twenty thousand pieces of gold."

"Balvorn balls!"

"So I was thinking that we could spare some gold to upgrade our weapons and wear. I was thinking about heading back to the crystal cave too."

"What else are you going to do with all that money, Elena?"

"I think I might become a landlady."

"There's many competitors here in Bowerstone, maybe you should start small and begin in the gypsy camp? Our caravans don't sell for much and they won't have a lot to give but it'll give you experience."

"That sounds like a fine idea, Sparrow. I'll keep working and grabbing more crystals then to supply you with the gear you need." Elena smiled, "I think I found my usefulness helping you now." She knew Sparrow would reprimand her for being diminishing towards herself so she shushed her. She was no Hero, but one needed her. Elena dropped some food from the Cow and Corset into Sparrow's lap and had her eat as the stars came out. There was that comfortable silence again and the ever present humming of the bees that, on occasion, would land on the girls and buzz off when they found nothing of interest. It was shortly before they huddled up together on their cloaks that Brave Knight decided to try eating one. He yelped and wiped his snout in the dirt. Sparrow gave out a tired, half-chuckle and Elena said "Was his tasty, honey butt worth the pain?" And the dog growled at her. It was shortly after that when sleep took them both.

* * *

Hannah had spent the last few hours sitting quietly to herself. She hadn't a clue where she was. It was a dome-like room with a strange but familiar symbol carved into the center of the room. Most of the flooring had collapsed and she sat on the edge of one, sometimes entertaining the thought of leaning forward and falling off. The last two days had felt unreal and she could still see that man holding her father. He was a terrifying man wrapped in a black coat with red bandaging covering his face. He had glowing jewelry around his neck and a voice so deep and low, it made her own throat constrict. She hated thinking about what happened but it wouldn't leave her mind- that man with his large hand around her father's throat. He told her to come with him and she refused and he pulled the trigger without any more hesitation than a person swatting an insect. It was so easy to pull a piece of metal; so easy to explode a man's skull with a twitch of the finger. And she saw it, and she continued to see it every few minutes. That man she had loved and who was taken in by- the man who spent every day with her. The man that taught her to talk and to walk. He was there in front of her and then she heard that awful sound and he just went everywhere. His head was in multiple places in that temple. She couldn't shake the thought of his eyes looking at her as his skull tore open and his insides sprayed out. Her heart froze and she felt sick again. She leaned and retched into the abyss. She felt stinging hot tears boiling in her eyes. She held her face in her hands and screamed.

"Why?" she whimpered. "Why him?"

Behind her, that white-eyed lady stood, watching over her in the case that the Hero would decide to lurch forward into the darkness in agony. "Death comes for us all, Hammer. Not everyone can die a Hero's death. Some die as martyrs, some die without reason. That is the world we live in."

"I hate this world."

"As does Lucien."

"Lucien knows nothing about this pain!"

"Lucien is more familiar with this pain than most. His family bears a curse. A curse of insanity and unbecoming deaths. When he was a child, he and his sister Ellie were playing around the carriage their lord-father owned. Lucien had accidentally undone the break and watched as the carriage crushed his sister under its wheel."

"I don't want to hear this. Please."

"He also, eleven years ago, lost his wife and daughter in a mercenary raid on Fairfax castle. The bandits had torn them apart and left only bits for the lord to return to."

"Then why has he done these awful things? Why did he kill my father?"

There was a pause before the woman answered Hammer. "Because Lucien wishes to build a pure and innocent world from the ashes of this one."

Hammer turned shook her head. "I don't understand how that involves us."

"Surely you've seen the beginnings of a grey mountain from the shores of Oakfield." The Hero nodded. "That is the Tattered Spire, an Old Kingdom conduit used by the archon to create a pure world. It rises again by Lucien's hand for the very same reason. However, his will is too weak to control the Spire and will destroy everything and everyone unless he is stopped."

"So killing an abbot will help him restore purity to an already corrupt world?" Hammer bit out.

"The Spire has long been ruined. It requires immense amounts of pure energy. In the days of the Old Kingdom, magic ran freely through the life of every living being. A world of fantastic creatures and sights. That energy has all but died in this new world. There is very little magic left and the only source of that energy lies in Heroes."

"The Heroes died out five hundred years ago though."

"No. They were greatly diminished but enough survived. Enough to save the world from a terrible threat once again. Hammer, you are the Hero of Strength. Descendant of Sol and Stone, two mighty Heroes and the Lords of Light that flourished before and after the Old Kingdom- a bloodline that will continue to flourish. That is why Lucien needed you. You are the key to his new world."

Hammer turned back to the abyss and said nothing. The gypsy left and walked back to the center of the room where she sat in silence.

When she was little, Hannah wanted nothing more than to leave Oakfield and journey the coast of Southern Albion. She imagined herself as a Hero, righting wrongs like they did in those old stories. She dreamed about spreading the words of light and enlightening the people's dampened spirits with tales of the beauties and serenity of Oakfield. This was largely the opposite of what she wanted. She was a descendant of those very gods she worshipped and her father died and her faith along with him. She felt like everything was a lie and she felt something like anger for her father, or herself, or whoever was really her father and mother for leaving her or letting her live a life of religious foolishness. She wished that she had grown up among the warrior monks or her own parents. She loathed thinking about how she wasted the twenty-one years of her life not truly living. Praying and hoping that people would be safe throughout Albion. But she knew better now. Every day that she prayed for peace, a man was gutted in a back alley and a woman was raped and a child would be dragged off into the nearest cave to be turned into a Hobbe; people who were too poor to own homes would starve or freeze in the streets and somehow she slept easy those nights thinking she had done good work. She hated that. She hated Hannah. She even hated the Lords of Light.

When her thoughts finally sewed themselves back together, she asked one question: "Who are you?"

"I am Theresa Black. A seeress and the Hero of Duty. I was the one that saw your presence in the north and it was I who sent Sparrow and Elena to search for you."

Hammer had known they were searching for someone but she didn't realize it was her. She wondered if they even knew though, by the way the two ladies seemed to stare at the sight of her must have tipped them off. Hammer had never known why she was so big. She figured creation had a sense of humour. It made sense that Hannah was the Hero of Strength.

No, not Hannah.

Hammer. Hannah had died alongside her father. Sister Hannah was a frail, scared child who believed prayer would save her and her father from the evils of this world. That naivety was the death of them both and Hammer had buried them.

Hammer brought forth the glass bottle with the golden leaf and shook it. The silver veins shined on the brassy leaf in the torchlight of the chamber. It was beautiful.

They were dead, but not forgotten.

It was then that Hammer decided she would right the wrongs like those old Heroes in that story.

Hammer grabbed her large maul and noticed that it seemed to change very slightly. It looked a bit darker and she thought she could see intricate lines of orange veins. She cared little for appearance though. She needed a weapon that could salvage the innocent from the clutches of the corrupted and hateful beings of this world.

She named her hammer 'Absolver'.

"Theresa. Teach me how to be a Hero."


	10. The Mage's Tower

**Pre-notes: If you're looking for a game to spend hundreds of hours on, look into 'Fire Emblem' and specifically, 'Fire Emblem: Awakening.' Fantastic game.**

**Welcome EthanTheRenegade- no pressure.**

**Act 3/7 **

**The Quest for Will**

* * *

_The Mage follows where wisdom leads, but always into conflict_.

* * *

It had been little more than a month since Hammer's recruitment into the Guild underneath the lake. The woman had spent every waking hour training with Theresa. One might've forgotten completely about the crimson-haired behemoth because she, since her recruitment, had never left the cave. Theresa told Sparrow that the woman's rate of learning was unparalleled by any she had seen. Hammer was as capable as any man and far beyond that, though Sparrow worried for her health. Surely she had not even seen the sun for a month. Still, Sparrow was amazed, and she was not often amazed by others. She could see Hammer in the old Hero Guild, fighting among the best.

However, what the Hero of Strength lacked was the need for down time. She knew that Hammer would often forget to eat or drink. For about two weeks, Sparrow had been bringing food from the Cow and Corset to Bower Lake where she would sometimes have to feed the exhausted woman. She didn't mind though. She has the utmost respect for Hammer in many ways. To name a few, Sparrow could easily praise her work ethic, her open-mindedness as well as just the sheer power the woman carried so effortlessly. She was also sweet and kind, even after the brutal death of her father. She knew seeing someone die would change anyone who wasn't strong enough to carry on- Sparrow knew that too well. She wasn't as much of a Hero as Hammer was in any way, so she was to be respected. Sparrow even began to think of her as a friend.

Back in Bowerstone, Elena had bought a house in Old Town, the very house that Sparrow's old shanty sat beside. The woman had renovated it into an office as well for her to meet with potential buyers and draw up new house sketches. The upstairs was their room- three beds for the girls and the new Hero of Strength if she ever left Bower Lake. Sparrow would awake every morning to Castle Fairfax staring at her over Bowerstone's Central vista. Sparrow appreciated what Elena had done for her. It was nothing short of amazing, and Elena's success had to do with selling those crystals and buying the entirety of the gypsy camp. She was technically a minor lady now since she owned part of an unclaimed region and was making plans to expand into Bowerstone. Elena had said that she would likely start off with some merchant stalls and maybe a clothing shop before she could expand more. Elena had bought Sparrow new threads to replace her old cotton jumper. She had bought Sparrow new leather thigh-high boots, brown cotton pants, a corset with metal plating on the abdomen and a royal blue overcoat with gold trimmings that hung down to her calves. She also bought Sparrow a leather belt that she strapped across her chest and placed her seal and pistol on and in the back, she hung her cleavers. Elena bought wear for herself as well. They certainly stood out in a crowd as Elena said they should- she drew a similarity between how they looked and how something dangerous like black widows looked menacing. Sparrow felt a little bit strange at first, walking among the crowds in Bowerstone but soon, people were approaching her as if she was a mercenary for hire. They would come to Sparrow with pieces of gold and pleads for dealing with bandits that razed a farm outside of town or a kid being taken by Hobbes. Sparrow took those jobs and became the go-to girl for dealing with problems outside the guard's jurisdiction. Bowerstone's guard captain allowed the use of lethal force as long as no innocents were in danger because of it.

Sparrow was surprised to learn that the guard captain was no other than Derek. He recognized her as well and asked about Rose. Sparrow lied to him and told him that they lived happily in Fairfax Castle. She didn't want to break his heart by telling him what happened- what he took them there for. She didn't think he could handle it. Derek was happy to hear that Rose was living life well but he did seem upset that she had forgotten to visit him. He must have felt abandoned. After Sparrow and Derek reunited, he took her out and they helped clean up the stragglers from Thag and Dash's bandit clan. He paid her and she let him know that she was free to be called on anytime.

To be short, the women had been able to keep themselves busy during the month. Hammer trained, Sparrow was a hero-for-hire, and Elena spent most of her time in business deals with other minor lords who felt threatened by her. Soon their quest's hiatus would be over and they would find the next Hero. Sparrow figured that it was to end today- Theresa had called her to the guild. Sparrow was nearly there already. She was climbing Hero Hill and just arrived at its summit. She had spent some time up there during their break, studying the tarot cards in an attempt to find the next Hero. She would only find a card with a glowing hand, pinned to a wall by a black stone shard that pierced through the palm of the hand. Theresa was searching for the next Hero as well, though she could see past the cards. She would spend days on Hero Hill staring out into the forest, unmoving and barely breathing.

It was to no surprise when she found that very woman waiting for her inside the chamber of fate. Sparrow felt those vibrations she had felt earlier- when she first entered the dead guild. It was more intensified and deeper-rooted in her spine this time. It was nearly indescribable; she might have tried to compare it to the very threads of existence flowing through her, whispering excitedly about what had happened in this chamber centuries ago. She couldn't understand them- it was very likely that there weren't voices at all... It was just what she could describe it as. She noticed that the vibrations were stronger, most likely because the presence of another two Heroes. Theresa had told her once that all Heroes carried a brilliant willpower and that her lineage alone could feel the vibrations they emanated.

She pushed the thought aside for the moment and carried the food to her friend. She came upon a sleeping Hammer and woke her up. The Hero of Strength's eyes were red and watery. She must have been dreaming about her father again, Sparrow thought. She sat the woman up and handed her a bag of pork spareribs. It seemed to be Hammer's favorite. The woman took it and nodded her thanks.

"I believe the fifth of the Heroes, The Mage, is in Brightwood. There is a powerful Will-user there called Garth."

Garth? Sparrow remembered that name- it wasn't easy to forget. She remembered being in Fairfax castle and passing by the man with black skin and glowing blue veins. She thought of him when she used her own magic. Perhaps she should have seen this coming. She had never seen a man like that since. "I remember him, and j remember hearing that he was Lucien's ward."

"Yes, Lucien gave him shelter shortly after he learned of the Spire. He had searched for one who could understand the mechanics of Old Kingdom technology. He found the young Mage in Samarkand where he studied Will and its application."

"And Garth supported the building of the Spire then?" Hammer asked.

"No, Garth believed Lucien's interest in the Old Kingdom was purely academic, like his own and Lucien, for his part, thought Garth was merely a brilliant scholar. When each learned the truth about the other, their partnership ended. Violently."

"What broke their partnership up?"

"Garth's room was under the study. He awoke to the sound of a gunshot and breaking glass. Inside he found a young girl strewn across the floor. It was then that Garth realized the extent of Lucien's fascination. He learned of Lucien's plans to use the Heroes to rebuild the Spire."

"He killed a child?" Hammer asked.

"Rose," Sparrow said. That was all she said.

"...No, I still don't believe this. Lucien isn't a Hero. Why didn't Garth kill him?"

Hammer had a point.

"It is true- guns don't make Heroes. A fanatical mind can make the villain, however. During the time of Garth and Lucien's collaborative experiments, they created an abomination of a human. It served as Lucien's personal guard against Garth. The Mage was lucky to have escaped the castle that night, but now it seems Lucien's men might have found him. Surely he intends to stop, but he cannot do so without our help."

Hammer grabbed her weapon and shrugged. "Right then, after you, Sparrow."

"Hammer, you will remain here until your training is complete. Sparrow will handle this."

Hammer threw her hammer to the ground in frustration, it cracked the floor's stone and she huffed. "Right, but don't think you're holding me back when the action starts." Hammer walked back to her side of the room and sat and ate angrily.

Theresa turned to Sparrow once again. "You have never been to Brightwood, Sparrow. It is a dense forest just south of here. Behind the gypsy camp."

* * *

Perhaps it was the setting sun and the new-found chill that came with the arrival of Autumn, but Sparrow found herself shivering in the quiet forest of Brightwood. She had never visited this region- Theresa never let her. She knew very well the dangers it held. Spawns and hordes of Balverines made Brightwood their home during the Summer. It was the thirty-second day of Autumn; the very end of Golden and the beginning of Crimson, and all should have departed to Ameryia. She still couldn't shake the feelin of being watched however. Perhaps it was a group of Hobbes? If they were there, they stayed in the bushes where they belonged.

Sparrow was on a hill overlooking Brightwood. The red light of the setting sun began to dim over the golden and thick trees of the forest. She imagined that the denizens living under the large trees didn't see the sun much. She could barely make out the forest floor from where she stood. She huffed and wrapped herself in her cloak. She followed a path of golden leaves into the heart of the forest.

For the most part, she could only hear the crunching of dead leaves beneath her feet and the rarely, the babbling of Hobbes as they watched her. She had never killed one of those- not that she knew of. She imagined that she only stunned it back in the ridge, not actually kill it like Elena did. She wondered if those Hobbes were still banging on that door, trying to find a way out. She felt glad and a little bit sad for them. They were children after all, corrupted children, she thought. She then remembered that the corpse of Herman was probably already devoured and she felt less sad.

What a world this was where the children eat their parents.

Luckily, it seemed that they weren't interested in the Hero. They seemed to be disquieted and maybe even frightful, but not of Sparrow. There was a small pulsation in the back of her head, not unlike what she felt at the guild. Perhaps they felt it too and feared it. Perhaps it was Lucien's men? She couldn't help but to wonder how they could manipulate the vibrations of will but regardless, she found herself putting her guild seal away. She thought it best not to advertise what she was in the event they had arrived in Brightwood.

"Theresa? Where is Garth?"

I believe he resides in a tower in the region.

"I am definitely not seeing any tower here."

Then perhaps he has veiled it with his magic. He surely knows Lucien is doubling his efforts in finding him.

Astute.

It was a low voice she heard in her mind, whispering inside like Theresa had and fading out just as quickly as it had come.

Something strange caught Sparrow's attention. It was a small glimmer she saw from the corner of her eye- a very small one but undoubtedly there. She turned her eyes towards it and saw a few glittering specs of light on the browned grass. Before her, a thin trail of sparkles expanded and winded down through the forest and past the trees and a small cloudy glow like moonlight on water filled the air around them, clinging to the soil. She looked down and saw that the trail started at her feet.

I know what you are. Come.

There was something inside of her that told her it was the Hero of Will, that it was Garth leading her to him. Even against what might have been her better judgement, she found herself following that golden trail, almost as if she was bewitched into doing so. Being a master of magic, perhaps a bewitching spell wouldn't be too out of the question. She found herself walking through the winding woods, passing alongside gnarled trees that hung low, swinging leaves that danced through her hair and red and white toadstools and by wolves and Hobbes that had been seemingly placated by the magical road. She heard the Hobbes whispering to each other, likely trying to figure whether her meat was worth dying over and thankfully, it seemed they didn't think so.

She continued her stroll through the forest. It was nighttime now and moonbeams sprayed through the trees like webbing. It was soon that she found herself out of the trees and in a sort of clearing. Another step and she felt like she had walked through a light curtain and the fabric had caught to her skin like wet clothes. The feeling came and went and before her stood a tower that stretched above the rest of Brightwood.

Welcome to my home.

Sparrow climbed the hill and the stairs to find herself at the door of the tower. Before she knocked, she turned and saw the veil she had passed through, from the inside the veil looked like a bubble of a stained-glass window.

She knocked once and the door opened. She let herself in and hung her cloak on a rack. The entrance wasn't as grand as she might've thought it would be- just a staircase. She brought herself up the stairs to a balcony that connected the first tower to the second. There was a pedestal that she passed that emitted a feeling that made her skin crawl. It seemed the second and final tower would not disappoint her expectations like the first one luckily. A strange, blue glow shined from its every orifice. When she entered she saw a large library coated in that same cobalt light. A large and bright blue sphere floated in the middle of the room; twitching and warping itself at every second. It was not only the blue sun that caught her attention. Books of all sizes were being continually reorganized and carried through the air by small licks of flame and portraits that hung on the wall watched the Heroine and whispered among themselves. There was a spiral staircase that would take her around the ball of light and into the floor above. As she began to ascend, she noticed the shelves lining the wall-side of the room; each shelf holding an item that Sparrow had not seen before. There was a red and white ball with black lining, a singular and miniature chest, a green helm with a golden visor and finally, a case that held three different stones wrapped in gold- an emerald whose gold trimming spiraled around the circular stone, a golden 'v' that held a ruby, and a golden claw that held three smaller sapphires. Garth was truly a strange collector.

She found herself in his bedroom. It was small and not as grand as the last room. Only a singular bed, a wardrobe and a glass-ceiling. There was a doorway to a final balcony and that's where she saw that very same man who she had seen a decade earlier lounging in a seat overlooking the entirety of Brightwood. She could even see Fairfax Castle. The man motioned a glowing arm at her to sit in the chair beside him. She did so and he spoke immediately to her.

"I tried to save her that night," he said. "I saw the broken window and you were nowhere to be seen so I had assumed you'd been killed. I tried to bring her back... But she was gone."

"You're talking about my sister. About Rose."

"Yes. The thought haunts me to this day. When I thought you had both died, I figured it would've been easier to avenge you. Now that you're alive and here... I have nothing to offer you other than my apologies."

"What happened?" Sparrow asked. She had many questions. "When I fell from that castle."

She looked over and saw the mage slumped in his chair. He blinked once and then twice and spoke. "I went in to see what the commotion was and I found a dying girl and Lucien sitting next to the window he had just pushed you from."

"I held her in my arms as she passed."

A tear rolled down her cheek.

"And what happened between you and Lucien?"

"He summoned a creation of his when I confronted him. A leach of Will and one beast that would have done me in if I had not escaped."

"I don't know why I'm asking you these things," Sparrow said. "I already knew the answers. Perhaps I needed to hear them from you."

"We had not spoken until today. I wish our first meeting wasn't so grim."

"We wish for a lot of things, Garth."

"... If I had known his intent... I would have stopped him. Powerful Heroes can slow time, but no man has ever reversed it. I will keep wishing to change the past and to save the both of you. I can offer you what help I can give you now. My magic, my knowledge of the Old Kingdom and my life if you need it. I shall dedicate it all to your guild."

"Then you know of our plan?"

"Yes. Your fortune-telling friend found my tower a month ago and I talked with her from my tower. She has told me your plans and has finally sent you my way."

Theresa had found him a month ago?

"I don't doubt the intentions of Theresa, Sparrow, but you must keep wary of her. She knows more and pulls more strings than she lets on."

"I know. I definitely know."

It was a while before they began talking again, instead, they just sat there, staring out into the stars past the glass veil. He handed her a book and told her to study it. The title "Will" was carved into its leather binding. It was a book handwritten by Garth about the application of combat spells. Inside she found many different spells as well as the two she had already known. Many of them were to take years to perfect like 'Divine Fury' and 'Infernal Wrath' but she found sections that would teach her how to better her lightning and force spells. She also found a section describing the use of small storms to combat opponents that she was immediately interested in. So she sat there in silence, reading dissertations on how one's own blood can glow with magic and how thoughts can manipulate the physical and void. She would learn the storm spell and anything else that might help her in a fight. She had just began to turn the page when she shrieked and dropped the book. She held her head and fell from her chair. It had felt as if someone had set her skull on fire. She grunted as the white hot pain pulsed down her spine and made her body ache. Garth was helping her up when a roar echoed through the region and a colossal obelisk shot through the sky like a bullet and broke through the glass veil. With a thunderous quake, it embedded itself into the side of Garth's tower like a thorn in a heel. The obelisk broke open and a white light shone from it. Beams of light shot at the balcony with the pedestal and men garbed in black suits and glowing red collars emerged from them. They were the very same as the man who killed Hammer's father- Lucien's wardogs.

"Kwenda Mbali!" Garth shouted. A brilliant flash of green light and Sparrow vanished. Just in time it seemed as the Spire men who were standing below on the roof had begun firing. Garth took s bullet in the arm before he sprung from the balcony and landed on one of the men. Garth shook a fist of red light and the guard choked as his life was drained. The Mage swerved off of the corpse and dodged the axe that would have split him in half and seared the man alive with a spell of fire.

"Take his arms off! Can't do magic without them!" One of the guardswomen screeched before a glowing magical blade found its way through her throat. A dance of icicles and ghostly familiars scattered or killed what remained of the guards. With a second to breathe, he closed his eyes and focused the will towards his heart. He desperately needed healing. The guards had done more than enough to wound him.

Before the spell of healing was complete however, he felt a small tremor before ebony-black spikes shot up from underneath him and pierced his feet, legs and even his genitals. He screamed in agony, unable to remove himself from the barbed trap. He heard a cruel laugh coming from behind him. He turned and from the corner of his eye, he saw a ghostly white demon of a man with rough and scarred skin and glass horns that were rooted in the base of his skull. His eyes were white and he spoke behind a black collar that covered most of his face though Garth could see the delight in capturing its prey in those white eyes.

"Have those studies taught you nothing? A decade of practice and you still put up such a weak display? Pitiful." The man's voice was dry and menacing, it made the hairs on the back of Garth's neck stand. "Lucien knows about the child. He's been tracking her since she left Oakfield. How lucky for us the witless bird let us right to you. You were smart to send her away. Lucien will beat me for not bringing the two of you but I will see to it that she and the troll rot alongside you."

"You think we're scared of you?" Garth spat out in a last attempt at stalling the monster. He focused his inner energy into one last spell- one he created to destroy this repulsive leech. "You're a freak- Lucien's failed experiment! Nothing more!"

"You're wrong!" The Commandant barked.

Almost there...

"You left too soon, Garth. Lord Lucien's experiment was a radical success."

Enough. Garth brought his arms to his chest and summoned every ounce of will he had. His marks glowed as brightly as the sun and the tower began to quake. He had put the last ten years into this spell, mentally training himself for the one day he would need to use it. He had almost released the energy when a sharp pain shot through his back and through his stomach. Garth looked down to see a blade made of blue diamond spouting from his belly. He felt dizzy and he watched in horror as the lines of Will disappeared from his body entirely. The sword pulled out and the spike under him retreated as well, leaving the man to crash to the ground where he lay shaking. He looked down to his stomach and saw that the blade had not left him with a physical injury but he was smart enough, even in his half-awake daze to realize what happened. A glance up at the blue diamond sword that now glowed wildly confirmed his suspicion.

"Predictable," the monster said, reaching down and grabbing Garth by the collar. "You are coming with me." A beam of light from the shard surrounded them and they were gone.


	11. Cold Comfort Farmer

"No doubt, they'd be humiliated to have this story told, but I set out to write the truth, and the world has a right to know." –Giles' Manuscript

* * *

There was a sickening lurch in Sparrow's stomach when Garth teleported her away. In no more than a second she fell to her knees, she found herself stuck atop a tree in the forest. She was still high enough above the blanket of red leaves to see the tower she had just been in. From her tree she could see a light silhouette dancing among red beads of light. There was lightning, fire and ice. It went by so quickly and then saw a man of white. She wasn't able to make out what had happened between him and Garth but she felt something had gone wrong. Another beam of light surrounded the two and the stone prism unsheathed itself from the tower and shot across the sky again, sending a migraine through Sparrow's head as it passed over.

Sparrow sat in the tree for a few moments to process what had happened. Had she... Failed? Lucien now had Garth. She sat there in silence. Sparrow had begun to feel unstoppable after her recent success in being a Hero. She hadn't an idea on how to fix this. If Lucien had Garth...

No, no, no. There had to be a way to fix this. The Shard was long gone but surely she could find a way to bring it back! She thanked her luck as she found the book of magic Garth had given her. She needed to find something- anything! She opened the book and flipped to the distortion magic section. There must have been a time spell she could utilize! She knew no man could reverse time but maybe she could slow it down. She could still see the shadowy stone- it was far but she could see it. She found no such spell to help her so, without so much as a second thought to her own safety, she stood above the tree and shot a spell of lightning into the air. Webs of yellowish lightning sprung from her fingertips and danced across the sky like leaves. Perhaps she could bring them back. She was confident in her fighting skills but she would find herself out maneuvered by Lucien's men. She had no experience with them after all. She didn't take to thinking her strategy out thoroughly, however, and jumped to the next tree, shooting lightning into the sky once again. "Come back!" She cried. Another bolt of lightning and the Shard still hadn't noticed. She jumped to another tree but the branch collapsed under her and she fell and landed onto the exposed root of the tree. She gasped and grabbed her side and rolled over defeated by her own stupidity.

_There was nothing you could do_

There was that voice again. Irritatingly collected as always.

_The creature that took Garth was Lucien's Commandant. And apparently he now controls a Shard, an Old Kingdom weapon of great power. Lucien's strength grows ever more formidable, as does his mastery of the Spire and its awful machinery._

"So what do I do now?"

_Now we create another plan. Lucien has his hands on only one Hero and as long as it stays that way, we have a chance_.

Sparrow shook her head. This would need to be one hell of a plan. She stayed curled up on the ground, looking into the cloudy night sky above. The pain from her fall had started to ease away and as a Hero, she needn't worry about broken bones. She just laid there until a tickle of water struck her nose. She cursed her luck and stood up. It was beginning to rain and she had left her cloak at the tower. How predictable, she thought to herself. She would be soaking by the time she got back home.

So she walked through the forest, stepping on wet leaves that she would kick up in frustration. It wasn't long before she found the lake that she grew up nea-

"Oh, that's just a pond," Sparrow said, changing directions and telling herself she wasn't lost.

After that, it was only a short walk before she was at-

"Mm no I don't remember this tree. I'm looking for one that looks like a..." With determination in her eyes, Sparrow set back down the road she was completely sure would take her home.

The Hero marched her way back to-

"Bloody hell."

Sparrow was hopelessly lost under the thick sea of reddened leaves. Today could truly not be any worse. She was already tired and soon she'd need to sleep. She loathed the idea of sleeping out in the open, but it was beginning to look like that's where she was headed. It began to seem like she might have been on the right path and she started to notice areas that she remembered passing through on her way to the tower.

* * *

It had been an hour since she took the path she thought would lead her home but once again found herself deeper in the forest, though luckily she stumbled across a lodge and figured she might ask to stay the night and ask for directions back to the lake in the morning. The cabin sat upon a small clearing on a hill where plowing equipment and cows were stored in a small shack near the cabin. Higher up the hill spun a windmill over the apple orchard. She also saw a grave near the edge of the clearing. Sparrow was nearly to the shack when she heard a man singing inside. His voice was sad but it was beautiful in its way. "Why do you lie there so still, pretty lady? Morning has come and the sun is reigning. When will you hold me again, pretty lady? Night has come, and I'm still waiting." The beautiful song stopped when she knocked on the door and immediately, the door sprung open and she was met by the bare chest of a giant man. He looked down at her with a glare that could break stones in two. "What?" Called a deep, menacing voice from behind the giant man. "If you've come back to taunt me, you'll regret it!" Hands grabbed at the side of the big man and pushed him aside to reveal an aging man. He sized her up and lowered the large rifle he was carrying when he deemed her to not be a threat. "Oh... What do you want?"

"I'm sorry for intruding," Sparrow said lightly, "but I was hoping to get a bed for the night. I'm lost and I was hoping-"

"No," the giant said curtly and closed the door. The older man's foot stopped the door from closing and he boxed his ear.

"Enough, Rodrick." He opened the door again and let Sparrow in. "Sorry about my son. He's been wary of travelers lately. I've been too but you seem like the decent type. 'S long as you keep those cleavers to yourself now."

"You're free to take both my cleavers and gun if it means I can lodge here for the night."

She handed her weapons to him and he tossed them off to his son who sat in the corner with them. "Apologies, stranger. Well, welcome to my... Farm. Not that there's much of anything growing here these days. My names Giles and that's my son Rodrick over there."

"Thank you for letting me in, Giles, my name is Sparrow. And sorry for the intrusion, Rodrick."

Rodrick said nothing, he didn't even spare her a glance. She might as well have said nothing.

"Prickly bastard, my son is. Don't mind him though. What brings you to Brightwood?" He asked.

"I'm... Trying to visit family."

"We're the only ones that live in Brightwood. Only ones who aren't bandits or Balverines that is."

"Yes, I was visiting family in Bower Lake but it seems that I've gotten lost."

Giles gave her a seat at the table and went back to his stove. "It would seem so. Good on you for bringing protection. I was a guard for thirty years and I figured it would be much safer if civilians brought some sort of arm with them. Dinner's almost ready if you're hungry."

"Very," she said.

While Giles was cooking, Sparrow spared a glance across the table to Rodrick who sat staring at his father but clearly watching her through the corner of his eye. He looked nothing like Giles. He was a large man who stood at least two heads taller than Sparrow and seemed to tower over her even when sitting. He had short grey blonde hair that was brushed upwards like a crashing wave and cyan eyes and a scar traced down his right brow and stopped near his thin lips. His jaw was square and always seemed to be flexing, in fact, his whole face seemed to always be stuck in a scowl-like look. He wore a large link of black chains that hung loosely around his neck. She could also see that he was incredibly and seemingly impossibly muscular. His brutish arms were decorated with green, tribal tattoos that started from down his forearms to the edges of his pectorals. On his left arm he had a leather and cotton, fingerless glove that had spiked knuckles, and on his other arm, he held more black chains that clung to his forearm like a band. His broad and mighty chest was also littered with pink scars from what seemed to be multiple different weapons. A round bullet scar on his right shoulder; a burn mark on his lower abdomen; scratches on his left pectoral and a long and deep, almost black scar that ran from above his right nipple, down through his abs and to his left oblique. He also wore loose pants that were weakly pulled together by an undone belt. She looked back up and watched his eyes again. They were without pupils, just completely cyan. She must have been staring at them for a little too long for his liking. The cyan eyes turned towards her and glared. "Stop," he growled quietly enough for Giles not to hear but loudly enough to get the point across.

During dinner, Giles opened up and told Sparrow about the bandit problem in Brightwood that ended up taking the life of his beloved wife. He had sent his youngest son, Rupert to live with his aunt in Bowerstone and Rodrick stayed behind to help his father pack things up for their move. Giles' wife had been killed only a month ago and it seemed that Rodrick was still taking it badly. He was not one for conversation, especially with strangers, but the loss of his mother seemed to make him even more aloof. Giles also told Sparrow that he was once the guard captain appointed by Lucien himself. He told a story of a young boy he had met once who got intertwined with a young and troublesome Arfur. He said he escorted him home and they were attacked by Balverines that had killed his parents.

"I never knew what happened to the mite. I can only hope he made it out alive."

* * *

It was late at night when Sparrow woke up. She had been asleep in the bed that Giles made his son give up. Giles hadn't come back from his patrol but she knew something else was rousing her from her sleep. She turned her head and saw Rodrick rifling through her bag. "What the hell?" She said, springing up and grabbing the bag back from him. She swung a slap that struck the man's cheek but he didn't even flinch, instead he snarled and lifted a book he got from his looting.

"What's this?" He asked, pulling it out grasp when Sparrow went to reach for it.

"Perhaps a book of mine? It was in my bag!" Rodrick opened the book and flipped through some of the pages. The content seemed to confuse him.

"Is this a book of spells? Are you a will-user?"

"Are you a moron?" She grabbed the book back and collected the items he scattered and placed them back in the bag. Rodrick had beaten her to the last one, it was the stuffed bear she found in her bag after her dream. She snatched that too and called him a prick. She went to the other side of the cabin and grabbed her weapons and made for the door. "I've had enough sleep for now. I think I'll be able to find my way home. Thank your father for letting me stay," she said on her way out.

"No you won't."

She turned and saw him leaning against the door frame and she scoffed. "Look, I realize you're not too fond of strangers and I'm sorry I intruded. You're a complete arse face though so-"

"An arse face?" He said with a laugh. She didn't think she'd ever hear him laugh being as annoyingly cool as he was. It was a cruel laugh and it grated her nerves and turned her cheeks red.

"Yes," she said somewhat embarrassed. She wasn't good at arguing, she almost never argued. "You don't go through a lady's bag! Ever!"

"You're no lady."

"Excuse me?"

"Lady's don't walk around with cleavers, guns and books of magic."

"I'm still a lady."

"You don't need to be coddled like one."

Sparrow gave him the finger and walked away into the forest. "You're definitely no lady," she heard him say as she left the clearing.

She wondered the woods again looking for her way out and trying to forget that she ever stayed there. People like him made her sick. Stuck up bastards who think it's cool to be shirtless and treat women like dogs. Sparrow spit on the ground. Disgusting, she thought. A man should be sophisticated and smart and chivalrous. Unlike him.

For the next hour, Sparrow had to combat the nagging voice in her head that told her she was lost. She would find her way out of Brightwood or she would die trying. She sat against the base of a tree and took a break. She wished she had a map but had never bought one because she thought Heroes were supposed to have an innate sense of direction. Seemed like she was wrong. Surely Brightwood couldn't have been so big to be lost in there for more than a day. If she just chose a direction and walked she had to be able to find her way out. But what if the forest spanned for miles? She could be completely lost and Giles said that he and his son were the only residents for miles.

No, she would have to get help. She hung her head in defeat and cursed her luck. She was close enough to find her way back to the cabin if she wanted to, but she definitely didn't want to. She took in a deep breath and pulled herself to her feet and walked back to the cabin.

When she was back, she saw that a light was emanating from the mill. She hoped it was Giles getting an early start on his farming. When she entered she was completely unsurprised to see the familiar scarred back of Rodrick as he was hunched over the smithing table. He turned and saw her standing in the doorway and shook his head. Was it too much to ask for him to be eaten by Hobbes or something? She swallowed her anger and a bit of bile that had been rising in her throat when she saw him. "I need help finding my way out of Brightwood."

"Tomorrow."

"Right now, please."

"No."

"I want to go now."

Rodrick merely shook his head and placed the blade into the water. It hissed and steam rose from it.

"Son..." A voice called from behind her. She immediately recognized it as Giles but something was off. His voice felt weak. She turned and saw the man limping towards them, a gash leaking blood from his opened leg. Sparrow hadn't enough time to process what had happened to the man before Rodrick slammed past her and nearly sent her to the ground. Giles collapsed and his son was already pulling his father's shirt off to pressurize the wound. "Ripper," Giles wheezed. "He's coming. They ambushed me."

"I'll kill him," Rodrick growled.

"No. You need to run. They're coming."

Rodrick looked at Sparrow and perhaps for the first time, he looked directly into her eyes. "Under my bed, there is a two-handed mace. Bring it to me." Sparrow nodded and ran to the cabin. She slid down under his bed and sure enough, a large golden mace lay in waiting. She pulled it out with great effort. When she held it, she sighed and heaved it back outside. The mace had a large sphere at the end of it that was covered in spikes that made it look like the sun. It was pretty and certainly heavy but she lugged it back to Rodrick who lifted it with one arm.

Sparrow had lowered to the ground next to Giles and pulled a health potion out of her pack. She bit off the cork and eased the drink down Giles' throat. He had lost consciousness but his bleeding had stopped. She looked up and saw a group of men approaching the farm. They were decked out in leather and bone-like armor and wore masks that covered their face. Sparrow saw a sigil on a tattered blue flag they carried. It was the face of a skull without a jaw. Surely this must've been the last of the three bandit kings, she thought. It was without hesitation that the men stormed the farm, screeching and laughing as they swung their swords towards the giant. Their laughs stopped quickly however, as Rodrick raised his mace and swung it down onto one of them. Blood sprayed and decorated Rodrick's chest and he swung again and again until each man was dead.


End file.
